Feasibility Testing a Meditation App for Youth in the Legal System

University of Illinois

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Behavioral Health

Treatments: Behavioral: Bodhi AIM (intervention group); Behavioral: HIB (control group)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05146167

R00DA047890 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

2018-0889

Details and patient eligibility

About

This feasibility clinical trial aims to assess the feasibility of implementing a 1-month app-based meditation program with youth in the juvenile legal system. The primary questions it is designed to answer are:

1. Will youth adequately adhere to the 1-month meditation app?
2. Is it feasible to collect data remotely from youth on their self-reported cannabis use, sexual health, and mental health at baseline, 1, and 6 months?

Full description

The investigators aim enroll 100 youth in Cook County, IL 13-18 years old who report regular access to an Apple or Android smartphone. Following completion of a baseline questionnaire, participants will be individually randomized at a 1:1 ratio to 1 of 2 smartphone app conditions: (1) Bodhi AIM (Action In Mindfulness), a 30-day meditation app or (2) HIB (Health In Balance), a health promotion control app matched to Bodhi AIM for time and structure. Follow-up assessments will occur at 1 and 6 months. All study activities will be remote.

Enrollment: 107 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 13 to 18 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• 13-18 years old
• In probation programming (i.e., in legal programming but not detained) in Cook County, IL
• Have access to an Apple/Android smartphone
• Understand and provide assent/consent
• Have legal guardian permission (if under 18 years old)
• English-speaking, due to norming of instruments

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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107 participants in 2 patient groups

Bodhi AIM

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to the intervention arm will receive the Bodhi AIM meditation app.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Bodhi AIM (intervention group)

HIB

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants randomized to the active control arm will receive the HIB health promotion app.

Treatment:

Behavioral: HIB (control group)