NCT01308970

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if participation in one of three different health management groups will elicit genomic and biochemical changes and decrease perceived stress levels and symptoms in healthy, stressed adults. The investigators expect that changes in self-reported psychological stress and symptoms will be directly linked to changes in biological indicators (genomic expression profiles and neuroendocrine and pro-inflammatory biomarkers).

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
455

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Mar 2011

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

February 24, 2011

Completed
5 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

March 1, 2011

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

March 4, 2011

Completed
4.5 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

September 1, 2015

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

October 1, 2015

Completed
Last Updated

November 13, 2015

Status Verified

November 1, 2015

Enrollment Period

4.5 years

First QC Date

February 24, 2011

Last Update Submit

November 12, 2015

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Change in Perceived Stress Levels Post-intervention and at 6-month Follow-up

    Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)

    Baseline (Week 1), Endpoint (Week 9), Follow-Up (Week 26)

  • Change in Genomic Expression Profile Post-intervention and at 6-month Follow-up

    Baseline (Week 1), Endpoint (Week 9), Follow-Up (Week 26)

Study Arms (3)

Stress Management Group 1

EXPERIMENTAL
Behavioral: Stress Management Group 1

Stress Management Group 2

EXPERIMENTAL
Behavioral: Stress Management Group 2

Stress Management Group 3

EXPERIMENTAL
Behavioral: Stress Management Group 3

Interventions

Subjects will attend individual stress management sessions once weekly for 8 weeks and will be instructed to listen to a health education CD for 20 minutes every day for the duration of the study.

Stress Management Group 1

Subjects will attend individual stress management sessions once weekly for 8 weeks and will be instructed to listen to a health education CD for 20 minutes every day for the duration of the study.

Stress Management Group 2

Subjects will attend individual stress management sessions once weekly for 8 weeks and will be instructed to listen to a health education CD for 20 minutes every day for the duration of the study.

Stress Management Group 3

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Age 18 or older
  • Stress is chronic and ongoing with no resolution of the stressors within the timeframe of the study, with a minimum prior duration of 6 months.
  • Able to provide informed consent and to understand written and spoken English.

You may not qualify if:

  • Practice of yoga, meditation, guided imagery or other mind body techniques that elicit the RR, once per week for 45 min total or more within the last three months or less.
  • Any current medical condition that would preclude their safe and effective practice of the yoga or meditation interventions.
  • The presence of bipolar or psychotic disorders, or history of any other DSMIV Axis I disorder with active symptoms or treatment within the last 5 years, as determined by a structured clinical interview.
  • Initiation of psychotherapy within 6 months of entering the study.
  • Serious or unstable medical illness, including serious or unstable cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurologic or hematologic disease.
  • Patient deemed unable to complete protocol due to cognitive, psychiatric or other reasons.
  • Pregnancy or planned conception over the course of the study (could confound biomarker values).
  • Current use of the following medications: systemic corticosteroids, chronic (i.e., more than 3 days per week) use of anti-inflammatories (e.g., ibuprofen; currently or within the last 3 months), immunosuppressive or cytotoxic therapies (currently or within the last 12 months), and anabolic steroids.
  • Current (within the last 6 months) psychoactive medications (e.g. antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anxiolytics), with the exception of hypnotics, which will be permitted.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine; Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Denninger JW, Joss D, Romero PM, Khalsa SBS, Hoge EA, Bhasin M, Lazar SW, Dusek JA, Macklin E, Libermann T, Fricchione GL, Benson H. Psychological assessments, allostatic load and gene expression analyses in a randomized controlled trial comparing meditation, yoga, and stress education. Front Psychol. 2025 Sep 12;16:1653242. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1653242. eCollection 2025.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress, Psychological

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral SymptomsBehavior

Study Officials

  • John W Denninger, MD, PhD

    Massachusetts General Hospital

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

February 24, 2011

First Posted

March 4, 2011

Study Start

March 1, 2011

Primary Completion

September 1, 2015

Study Completion

October 1, 2015

Last Updated

November 13, 2015

Record last verified: 2015-11

Locations