Effects of Meditation Awareness Training on Psychosocial Functioning in Prison Participants

Nottingham Trent University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Psychosocial Functioning

Treatments: Other: Meditation Awareness Training; Other: Treatment as usual

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01651091

MAT-30072012-T

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of an eight-week long group-based secular intervention known as Meditation Awareness Training (MAT) on psychosocial functioning in prison participants.

Full description

In Western practitioner settings, Buddhist principles are increasingly being used in the treatment of a wide range of mental health issues. However, there is a dearth of high quality research examining the effects of Buddhist-derived interventions (BDIs) on mental health in forensic settings. The purpose of this study is to assess the salutary effects and acceptability of a secularised group-based eight-week BDI known as Meditation Awareness Training (MAT) against relevant predictors of adaptive psychosocial functioning and mental health in violent offenders. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design will be employed structured with reference to CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) 2010 guidelines. English speaking adult males (aged 18-65 years) serving indeterminate prison sentences for offences of instrumental violence at a category B prison will be invited to receive MAT on a voluntary basis. Computer-generated numbers will be used to randomly allocate prison participants (n=102 - based on statistical power calculations) to either an intervention or 'treatment as usual' (TAU) control condition. Measures will be taken pre- and post-intervention and at three-month follow-up to assess maintenance effects.

Enrollment: 102 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adult male (aged 18 to 65)
• English speaking
• Intact cognition(mini-mental status exam ≥23)
• Incarceration for an act of instrumental violence
• Evidence of self-harming and/or suicidal ideations and/or substance-use during the 12 months prior to the study.

Exclusion criteria

• current participation in a program of structured psychotherapy or counselling
• any prior formal meditation training
• psychopharmacology commenced or dosage changed one-month prior to intervention (stable medication permitted)

Trial design

102 participants in 2 patient groups

Meditation Awareness Training

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: Meditation Awareness Training

Treatment as Usual

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Other: Treatment as usual