Investigating Train the Trainer Delivery of Mindfulness-based Training

NCT03250156 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 20120450
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 128
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness training (MT) on cognitive and psychological factors when incorporated to the duty-day schedule of servicemembers (via proctored mindfulness practice). Based on prior literature, it can be hypothesized that the benefits of MT on measures of attention, working memory, and psychological well-being will be greater for servicemembers who engage in proctored mindfulness practice and receive duty-day support compared to servicemembers who practice independently, on their own time, with no structured duty day support.

Conditions

Resilience; Stress

Keywords

Mindfulness; Attention; Working Memory; Psychological Well-Being; Proctored Practice

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART)

  The SART is used to assess attentional performance and self-reported mind wandering (i.e., off-task thinking which is typically self-generated and compromises the performance of the task at hand). The task uses a continuous performance paradigm involving button presses to frequently presented non-targets (numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) but requires the participants to withhold their response to the infrequent target (number 3). Withholding responses only to infrequent targets encourages a pre-potent response and mind wandering. Real-time subjective experience of mind wandering during SART is assessed through experience-sampling probes randomly presented throughout the task.

  Participants will complete the SART at three time points: Pre-intervention baseline (T1), post-intervention up to 2 weeks after the end of the 4-week training (T2), and follow-up up to two months after the end of the training (T3).

• Change in Working Memory Task with Affective Distraction (WMDA)

  The WMDA is used to assess the ability to hold information in working memory while overcoming emotional reactivity and distraction. Specifically, participants are presented with a memory item that they need to memorize and hold in memory during a delay interval. During the delay, emotionally negative or neutral scene images are presented. The negative images are combat scenes from Iraq or Afghanistan (Morey et al., 2009) and the neutral images are non-combat scenes.

  Participants will complete the WMDA at three time points: Pre-intervention baseline (T1), post-intervention up to 2 weeks after the end of the 4-week training (T2), and follow-up up to two months after the end of the training (T3).

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)

  Pre-intervention baseline (T1), post-intervention up to 2 weeks after the end of the 4-week training (T2), and follow-up up to two months after the end of the training (T3).

• Change in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

  Pre-intervention baseline (T1), post-intervention up to 2 weeks after the end of the 4-week training (T2), and follow-up up to two months after the end of the training (T3).

Other Outcomes (10)

• Change in Connor-Davidson Resilience Score (CD-RISC)

  Pre-intervention baseline (T1), post-intervention up to 2 weeks after the end of the 4-week training (T2), and follow-up up to two months after the end of the training (T3).

• Change in Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (5FMQ)

  Pre-intervention baseline (T1), post-intervention up to 2 weeks after the end of the 4-week training (T2), and follow-up up to two months after the end of the training (T3).

• Change in Combat Experiences Scale (CES)

  Pre-intervention baseline (T1), post-intervention up to 2 weeks after the end of the 4-week training (T2), and follow-up up to two months after the end of the training (T3).

Study Arms (3)

MBAT with proctored practice

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will engage in Mindfulness Based Attention Training (MBAT) in 4, 2-hour training classes with 1 class per week. Participants in the proctored practice group will complete assigned, out of class mindfulness exercises during the duty day - for example, as part of their daily physical training (e.g., mindful cooldown, final 15 minutes of PT is spent engaging in a mindfulness exercise using a guided recording).

Behavioral: MBAT with proctored practice

MBAT with non-proctored practice

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will engage in Mindfulness Based Attention Training (MBAT) in 4, 2-hour training classes with 1 class per week. Participants in the non-proctored practice group will complete assigned, out of class mindfulness exercises on their own time with no structured duty day support.

Behavioral: MBAT with non-proctored practice

No Training Control

NO INTERVENTION

This group will receive no intervention.

Interventions

MBAT with proctored practice BEHAVIORAL

The training program is known as Mindfulness-Based Attention Training, or MBAT. The MBAT program is based on the principles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, but contextualized for military personnel using themes relevant to military life. The training content is comprised four central themes: concentration, body awareness, open monitoring, and compassion. Participants will have proctored practice and complete the assigned, out-of-class mindfulness exercises during the duty day as party of their physical training.

MBAT with proctored practice

MBAT with non-proctored practice BEHAVIORAL

The training program is known as Mindfulness-Based Attention Training, or MBAT. The MBAT program is based on the principles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, but contextualized for military personnel using themes relevant to military life. The training content is comprised four central themes: concentration, body awareness, open monitoring, and compassion.Participants will not have proctored practice and will complete the assigned, out-of-class mindfulness exercises on their own.

MBAT with non-proctored practice

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• English-speaking
• Active duty military
• Able to understand and provide signed informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Non-controlled severe medical disease that might interfere with the performance of the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Miami: lead
• Fort Drum: collaborator
• United States Department of Defense: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

University of Miami

Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, United States

Location

Ft. Drum

Fort Drum, New York, 13602, United States

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Jha, AP, Morrison, AB, Parker, SC, & Stanley, EA. Practice is protective: Mindfulness training promotes cognitive resilience in high-stress cohorts. Mindfulness. 2016; 7(1), 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s12671-015-0465-9.

  BACKGROUND

• Jha AP, Morrison AB, Dainer-Best J, Parker S, Rostrup N, Stanley EA. Minds "at attention": mindfulness training curbs attentional lapses in military cohorts. PLoS One. 2015 Feb 11;10(2):e0116889. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116889. eCollection 2015.

  PMID: 25671579 BACKGROUND

• Jha AP, Stanley EA, Kiyonaga A, Wong L, Gelfand L. Examining the protective effects of mindfulness training on working memory capacity and affective experience. Emotion. 2010 Feb;10(1):54-64. doi: 10.1037/a0018438.

  PMID: 20141302 BACKGROUND

• Jha AP, Witkin JE, Morrison AB, Rostrup N, Stanley E. Short-Form Mindfulness Training Protects Against Working Memory Degradation over High-Demand Intervals. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement 2017 1(2): 154-171. doi:10.1007/s41465-017-0035-2.

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Officials

• Amishi P Jha, Ph.D

  University of Miami

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: We aim to recruit three groups. Two groups will receive mindfulness training (MBAT) but will differ in their level of duty day support to engage in daily assigned mindfulness exercises. The Proctored group (n = 45) will receive mindfulness training and complete assigned exercises during the duty day, integrated into their daily physical training. The Non-Proctored group (n = 45) will receive identical mindfulness training, but complete their assigned exercises on their own time. These participants will not receive additional duty day support for their practice. A third group will receive no training and serve as a control group (No-Training Control, n = 45). The design relies on group randomization at the level of individual platoons. This is due to the military requirement that organic unit structure is maintained during testing and course session scheduling. The number of participants is based on prior research (Jha et al., 2017).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 25, 2017
• First Posted: August 15, 2017
• Study Start: July 25, 2017
• Primary Completion: October 5, 2017
• Study Completion: October 5, 2017
• Last Updated: September 18, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)