Testing the Effectiveness and Implementation of a Meditation App for Youth in the Legal System

University of Illinois

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Behavioral Health

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

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06997120

R01DA061795 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

2025-0066

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goals of this hybrid type 2 randomized controlled trial (RCT) are to evaluate the effectiveness and individual-level implementation of a 1-month app-based meditation program with youth on probation in Cook County, IL. The primary questions it is designed to answer are:

1. Is the meditation app associated with improvements in behavioral health outcomes including cannabis use problems?
2. Do improvements in emotion regulation appear to mediate the effects of the meditation app on these behavioral health outcomes?
3. Will youth adequately adhere to the meditation app?

Full description

This remote study will enroll 300 youth on probation in Cook County, IL, which encompasses Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. Youth will be individually randomized to use either the meditation app or an active control app matched for time/structure daily for 30 days. Health outcomes will be self-reported at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months, and in real time via 1-week "bursts" of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) at baseline and 1 month (i.e., approximately overlapping with the last week of app use). Objective adherence to both apps will be captured automatically via in-app analytics.

Enrollment: 300 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 13 to 20 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• 13-20 years old
• In probation programming (i.e., in legal programming but not detained) in Cook County
• Have access to an Apple/Android smartphone
• Understand and provide assent/consent
• Have parental consent (if under 18 years old)
• English-speaking, due to norming of instruments

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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300 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)