Mindfulness-Based Substance Use Prevention (MINDS-UP)

NCT ID: NCT06593470

Last Updated: 2025-08-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

45 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-03-01

Study Completion Date

2028-01-01

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the feasibility, behavioral/neural mechanisms, and preliminary efficacy of "MINDfulness-based Substance Use Prevention Program," or "MINDS-UP", a novel substance use prevention meditation intervention for children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Is MINDS-UP feasible and what is its preliminary efficacy?
2. Are MRI protocol and procedures feasible?

An additional exploratory question is:

Are there neural and psychopathological mechanisms through which MINDS-UP might work?

Researchers will compare Sport - Prevention Plus Wellness (PPW) (an evidence based substance use prevention program) to Sport - Prevention Plus Wellness + MINDS-UP to examine the preliminary efficacy of MINDS-UP.

Participants will

* take assessment #1
* have 2 MRIs and take MINDS-UP, just take MINDS-UP or have a delayed start
* take assessment #2
* take PPW, a single remote and research assistant-delivered 45-minute session
* take assessment #3
* take assessment #4

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Substance Use

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Sport: Prevention Plus Wellness (PPW)

Sport: Prevention Plus Wellness (PPW) is a brief, evidence-based substance use prevention program for youth. PPW consists of a single remote-delivered 45-minute session by a research assistant (RA) trained in PPW that is interactive and intended for use by youth in the home setting. It involves screening youth to increase awareness of their current health behaviors; motivational enhancement for change; and establishing a behavior goal plan.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Prevention Plus Wellness

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

PPW is a standardized, empirically-based intervention for substance use prevention in adolescents ages 10-14. It consists of 1 45-60 minute session between an adolescent and a trained PPW teacher.

MINDS-UP with MRI + PPW

MINDS-UP consists of 4 x 60-minute sessions, once weekly over 4 weeks. MINDS-UP will be delivered to participants remotely, in a 1:1 setting, taught by the meditation teachers that will be hired and trained by Dr. Saunders. Additionally, participants will be provided audio files of 5-10-minute guided meditation practices, led by Dr. Saunders, as homework. Half of those randomized to receive MINDS-UP + PPW (n=10) will receive functional and structural MRI before and after MINDS-UP to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of our MRI procedures and study design. Participants randomized to MINDS-UP with MRI arm will also complete PPW.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

MINDS-UP

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

MINDS-UP is a substance use prevention program for children/adolescents.It consists of 4 x 60-minute sessions, once weekly over 4 weeks. The four MINDS-UP classes will focus on the following: Mindfulness of Body; Mindfulness of Mind; Mindfulness of Environment/Community; Kindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity, respectively.

Prevention Plus Wellness

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

PPW is a standardized, empirically-based intervention for substance use prevention in adolescents ages 10-14. It consists of 1 45-60 minute session between an adolescent and a trained PPW teacher.

fMRI

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Functional MRI to investigate preliminary neural mechanisms of MINDS-UP

MINDS-UP without MRI + PPW

MINDS-UP consists of 4 x 60-minute sessions, once weekly over 4 weeks. MINDS-UP will be delivered to participants remotely, in a 1:1 setting, taught by the meditation teachers that will be hired and trained by Dr. Saunders. Additionally, participants will be provided audio files of 5-10-minute guided meditation practices, led by Dr. Saunders, as homework. Participants randomized to MINDS-UP without MRI arm will also complete PPW.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

MINDS-UP

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

MINDS-UP is a substance use prevention program for children/adolescents.It consists of 4 x 60-minute sessions, once weekly over 4 weeks. The four MINDS-UP classes will focus on the following: Mindfulness of Body; Mindfulness of Mind; Mindfulness of Environment/Community; Kindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity, respectively.

Prevention Plus Wellness

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

PPW is a standardized, empirically-based intervention for substance use prevention in adolescents ages 10-14. It consists of 1 45-60 minute session between an adolescent and a trained PPW teacher.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

MINDS-UP

MINDS-UP is a substance use prevention program for children/adolescents.It consists of 4 x 60-minute sessions, once weekly over 4 weeks. The four MINDS-UP classes will focus on the following: Mindfulness of Body; Mindfulness of Mind; Mindfulness of Environment/Community; Kindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity, respectively.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Prevention Plus Wellness

PPW is a standardized, empirically-based intervention for substance use prevention in adolescents ages 10-14. It consists of 1 45-60 minute session between an adolescent and a trained PPW teacher.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

fMRI

Functional MRI to investigate preliminary neural mechanisms of MINDS-UP

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

PPW

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Youth is ages 10-14 years on the day of screening \[i.e., does not turn 15 before or on the day of screening\]
* Access to a smart phone, tablet, or computer with Wi-Fi
* English-speaking

Exclusion Criteria

* Has been diagnosed with or received treatment for one of the following mental health problems: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, or substance use disorder.
* Youth is actively involved in another Boricua Youth Study (BYS)
* Youth's sibling is or has previously been enrolled in MINDS-UP.
Minimum Eligible Age

10 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

14 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

New York State Psychiatric Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

David Saunders, MD PhD

Assistant Prof of Psychiatry

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

David C Saunders, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

914-409-6807

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

K12DA000357

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

#Pro00076319

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Parenting Mindfully Study
NCT02038231 COMPLETED NA
Cognitive Stimulation in Adolescents
NCT01948674 COMPLETED PHASE2
Cannabis Reduction and Functional Outcomes
NCT07218471 NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA