Compassion Training and Mindfulness Training for Social Well-Being and Mental Health
NCT ID: NCT05227794
Last Updated: 2023-02-13
Study Results
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Basic Information
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COMPLETED
NA
290 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2022-02-16
2022-12-12
Brief Summary
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The present study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT). The primary aim is to test the relative efficacy of two 8-week online interventions - Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) - in promoting diverse university students' social well-being (i.e., reduced loneliness, and enhanced social connectedness and perceived social support) compared to a Waitlist (WL) control group.
The secondary aim is to examine the effects of CCT versus MBSR on the mental health of diverse university students compared to the WL group. Mental health is defined in this research as both positive mental health (i.e., happiness, positive emotions, meaning and purpose) and negative mental health (i.e., stress, anxiety, and depression).
Additionally, another aim is to enroll 75% students of color and 50% male identifying students, whose social well-being and mental health is currently understudied, to better represent the sociodemographic diversity of the university student population in the literature.
Study Rationale:
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered widespread disruptions in social connections and relational bonds that robustly support a variety of mental and physical health-protective processes. University students' social well-being may have been especially impacted as universities provide a central context for socialization. At the same time, the pandemic exacerbated a pre-existing rise in cases of mental health conditions in university students. If found effective, online-based CCT and MBSR might serve as scalable psychological interventions to foster social thriving and mental health among diverse university students.
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Detailed Description
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The primary aim is to study the main effects of CCT and MBSR (vs. WL, and compared to each other) on self-report measures of participant social well-being (i.e., loneliness, social connectedness, and perceived social support).
It is predicted that CCT will enhance social well-being compared to MBSR and to the WL, and that MBSR will enhance social well-being compared to the WL.
Secondary Aim and Hypotheses:
The secondary aim is to study the main effects of CCT and MBSR (vs. WL, and compared to each other) on self-report measures of participant mental health. This includes changes in positive mental health (i.e., happiness, positive emotions, and meaning and purpose) and negative mental health (i.e., stress, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms).
It is predicted that CCT and MBSR will both increase positive mental health and both decrease negative mental health compared to the WL. It is hypothesized that there will be no differences between the effects of CCT and MBSR on participants' positive or negative mental health.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
DOUBLE
Participants will not be informed of the training they are randomly assigned. However, participants assigned to the waitlist will know they are in the control group (as they will not receive any training). Thus, comparisons between CCT and MBSR will be masked, but comparisons between CCT and MBSR with the control will not.
Outcomes Assessor Masking: Yes (partial)
For all self-reported outcomes (Primary Outcomes), partial participant blinding to condition will necessarily imply partial outcomes assessor blinding. Specifically, for CCT vs. MBSR comparisons, outcomes assessor blinding for self-reports will be masked, but comparisons between CCT and MBSR with the control will not be masked. For all peer rating outcomes (Other Outcomes), full outcomes assessor blinding will be possible (peers will not know what training group participants are in).
Masking Conclusion:
Double-blinding of the trial is possible (but see the above notes).
Study Groups
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Compassion-Based Intervention
Participants in this condition are assigned to an empirically supported 8-week online compassion-based intervention protocol. The intervention includes a weekly 2-hour educational session and a recommendation of 15-30-mins of daily meditation, and real-world assignments to practice compassion.
Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)
CCT is a secular, empirically supported 8-week program that integrates meditation practices, interactive discussions, and educational lectures to improve self-compassion and other-oriented compassion, emotion and stress management, and happiness and well-being. It includes a weekly 2-hour educational lecture with discussion and in-class exercises, a recommendation of 15-30 minutes of daily meditation, and real-world assignments to practice compassion. The program is taught by a certified instructor with more than 5 years experience.
Mindfulness-Based Intervention
Participants in this condition are assigned to an empirically supported 8-week online mindfulness-based intervention protocol. The intervention includes a weekly 2-hour educational session, a recommendation of 15-30 minutes of daily meditation, and an optional 6-hour one-day retreat.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
MBSR is among the most studied mindfulness-based interventions in the literature and is a secular, 8-week psycho-educational group-based intervention. The program structure (slightly modified to match CCT) includes a weekly 2-hour class, a prescription of 15-30-minutes of daily mindfulness practice, and a one-day optional retreat (6 hours) between week six and seven. The program is taught by a certified instructor with more than 5 years experience.
Waitlist Control (WL)
The WL control group will complete all study assessments on the same schedule as the intervention arms. At the time of the final follow-up assessment, participants will be randomly assigned to one of the interventions (CCT or MBSR) with the same instructors.
No interventions assigned to this group
Interventions
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Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)
CCT is a secular, empirically supported 8-week program that integrates meditation practices, interactive discussions, and educational lectures to improve self-compassion and other-oriented compassion, emotion and stress management, and happiness and well-being. It includes a weekly 2-hour educational lecture with discussion and in-class exercises, a recommendation of 15-30 minutes of daily meditation, and real-world assignments to practice compassion. The program is taught by a certified instructor with more than 5 years experience.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
MBSR is among the most studied mindfulness-based interventions in the literature and is a secular, 8-week psycho-educational group-based intervention. The program structure (slightly modified to match CCT) includes a weekly 2-hour class, a prescription of 15-30-minutes of daily mindfulness practice, and a one-day optional retreat (6 hours) between week six and seven. The program is taught by a certified instructor with more than 5 years experience.
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Demographic Eligibility Criteria:
* To enroll 75% participants of color (BIPOC) and 50% male identifying participants. Enrollment of participants who identify as White will be capped at n = 90, and participants who identify as female will be capped at n = 180.
* Participants will not be excluded based on any other demographic characteristics.
18 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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Yale University
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Marc Brackett, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Yale University
James Floman, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Yale University
Locations
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Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Countries
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References
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Wang X, Hegde S, Son C, Keller B, Smith A, Sasangohar F. Investigating Mental Health of US College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Sep 17;22(9):e22817. doi: 10.2196/22817.
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Related Links
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Compassion Cultivation Training
Other Identifiers
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2000031780
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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