App-Based Mindfulness Meditation for People of Color Who Experience Race-Related Stress
Stress, Psychological, Anxiety, Depression
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Stress, Psychological focused on measuring Race-Related Stress, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Meditation, App
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Individuals interested in participating in this study will complete an online screening questionnaire using Qualtrics, a platform that is smartphone compatible. For study inclusion, participants are required to:
- Identify as a member of a people of color (POC) group
- Report experiencing elevated levels of race-related stress (i.e., a score of 55 in the IRRS-B or a score of 12 in the MDM)
- Speak and read English,
- Not receive psychological services currently
- Not have practiced mindfulness meditation for more than two hours in the month prior to study commencement
- Own a smartphone with access to the internet
- Be willing to install the MBI app and accept daily notifications and text reminders
- Be at least 18 years old
Screening Measures:
Race-Related Stress. The 22-item Index of Race-Related Stress-Brief (IRRS-B) measures multiple sources of race-related stress, including Individual, Institutional, and Cultural. Participants rate items on a scale ranging from 0 (This Never Happened to Me) to 4 (This Event Happened and I was Extremely Upset), with higher scores indicating more race-related stress. The IRRS-B was developed with a POC sample (i.e., Blacks), showing adequate reliability (α = .78) for both Cultural and Individual subscales and acceptable reliability (α = .69) for the Institutional subscale. For study inclusion, participants need to obtain a score of 55, which represents elevated race-related stress.
Perceived Discrimination. The 8-item Multicultural Discrimination Module (MDM) measures perceived discrimination. Participants rate items on a scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 4 (Often) with higher scores indicating more levels of perceived discrimination. The MDM was developed using a U.S. population-based sample (approximately 40% POC) and has shown good internal consistency (α = .81 - .88) in a previous study. For study inclusion, participants need to obtain a score of 12, which represents the 75th percentile of the population distribution.
Exclusion Criteria:
- NA
Sites / Locations
- University of California, Los Angeles
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
Mind-Us
Assessments First
Use of the 10% Happier app to complete at least one meditation daily -with the possibility of exceeding this goal by choosing additional meditations- for 4 weeks. Participants will be asked to complete "The Basics" and "The Basics II" courses to familiarize themselves with the principles of mindfulness meditation. Each audio-recorded session begins with a short video providing psychoeducation around mindfulness meditation and teaching specific techniques (e.g., using the breath as an anchor, redirecting attention, noting thoughts and emotions). For the last two weeks of the program, participants will be invited to complete the "Essential Advice" course. This additional course is composed of 14 sessions ranging in length from 15 to 18 minutes.
Wait-list control group. Individuals in this group will complete baseline, mid-, and post-treatment assessments before receiving the intervention (i.e., 4 weeks after randomization).