D-Stress Baltimore: School-based Mindfulness Instruction

Johns Hopkins University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Coping; Mental Health Wellness 1; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness Instruction; Behavioral: Health Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02493218

NA_00077391

Details and patient eligibility

About

Effective strategies to ameliorate the negative effects of stressful urban living are greatly needed. D-Stress Baltimore (DSB) is an evidence-based mindfulness-based instructional program of stress-reduction techniques, found to reduce mental health problems across many adult populations.

The investigators propose to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the 12-week school-based DSB program compared with a 12-week school-based health education control program at Elev8 schools among 5th-8th graders to assess if DSB program is beneficial for mental health and behavioral problems among public middle-school students.

Full description

Urban youth in Baltimore City are under significant and inevitable stresses, including violent neighborhoods, failing schools, and interpersonal conflict. Effective strategies to ameliorate the negative effects of stressful urban living are greatly needed.

D-Stress Baltimore (DSB) is an evidence-based mindfulness-based instructional program of stress-reduction techniques which has been found to be beneficial for adults in decreasing anxiety and depression, improving positive emotions, and reducing anger.

The investigators propose to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the 12-week school-based DSB program compared with a 12-week school-based health education control program at Elev8 schools among 5th-8th graders. The investigators hypothesize that the D-Stress Baltimore Program will reduce negative emotions, including hostility, and improve coping.

Enrollment: 400 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 9 to 18 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 5th - 8th graders in select Baltimore City schools

Exclusion criteria

• N/A

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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400 participants in 2 patient groups

Mindfulness Instruction

Experimental group

Description:

Instruction on mindfulness concepts and practices. Classes are 45-90 minutes each and held weekly for 12 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness Instruction

Health Education Instruction

Active Comparator group

Description:

Instruction on general health and wellness. Classes are 45-90 minutes each and held weekly for 12 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Health Education