Breathing Techniques and Meditation for Health Care Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic

NCT04482647 | Active Not Recruiting Results

• 2 other identifiers: 2020-0483NCI-2020-04931
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This phase I trial investigates breathing techniques and meditation for health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic. Breathing techniques and medication may help manage stress and improve lung health. The goal of this trial is to learn if breathing techniques and meditation may help to reduce stress and improve lung health in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conditions

COVID-19 Infection

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Number of Participants Recruited to the Study (Feasibility)

  To demonstrate the feasibility of a short pranayama or breathing techniques and meditation during Covid-19 pandemic. Feasibility will be defined as recruitment of 50 participants to the study within 2 months.

  Within 2 months

• Number of Participants Who Perceived the Intervention as Useful

  Defined as more than 50% of participants perceive the intervention as useful. Meditation perception questions were asked such as usefulness, feeling at peace, hopeful, or relaxed, and responses were recorded as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree at weeks 1 and 4.

  Week 1 and Week 4

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Change in Resilience

  4 weeks

• Perceive Stress and Psychological Impact

  4 weeks

• Breath Holding Time

  4 weeks

• Adherence to the Practice

  4 weeks

Study Arms (1)

Supportive Care (video, breathing techniques, meditation)

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients view an instructional video on breathing techniques and meditation. Patients then perform breathing techniques over 3 minutes and meditation over 2 minutes BID for 28 days.

Other: Media Intervention; Procedure: Meditation Therapy; Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment; Other: Questionnaire Administration; Procedure: Yoga

Interventions

Media Intervention OTHER

View instructional video

Supportive Care (video, breathing techniques, meditation)

Meditation Therapy PROCEDURE

Perform meditation

Also known as: Meditation

Supportive Care (video, breathing techniques, meditation)

Quality-of-Life Assessment OTHER

Ancillary studies

Also known as: Quality of Life Assessment

Supportive Care (video, breathing techniques, meditation)

Questionnaire Administration OTHER

Ancillary studies

Supportive Care (video, breathing techniques, meditation)

Yoga PROCEDURE

Perform breathing techniques

Also known as: Yoga Therapy

Supportive Care (video, breathing techniques, meditation)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: Up to 70 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must be able to read and understand English
• Must be employed at MD Anderson Cancer Center

You may not qualify if:

• Epilepsy
• Brain tumor
• Brain aneurysm
• Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• Brain bleeding in the past 1 year
• Recent abdominal surgery and not cleared to exercise

Sponsors & Collaborators

• M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: lead
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

M D Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Wagner RW, Mallaiah S, Anderson CR, Engle R, Vasu V, Bruera E, Subramaniam B, Cohen L, Narayanan S. Effects of the Brief Simha Kriya Breathing Practice for Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Integr Complement Med. 2024 Oct;30(10):970-977. doi: 10.1089/jicm.2023.0692. Epub 2024 Mar 28.

  PMID: 38546421 DERIVED

• Narayanan S, Tennison J, Cohen L, Urso C, Subramaniam B, Bruera E. Yoga-Based Breathing Techniques for Health Care Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic: Interests, Feasibility, and Acceptance. J Altern Complement Med. 2021 Aug;27(8):706-709. doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0536. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

  PMID: 33835830 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

COVID-19

Interventions

Meditation; Yoga

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Spiritual Therapies; Relaxation Therapy; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Exercise Movement Techniques; Physical Therapy Modalities

Limitations and Caveats

Reporting Results for Primary Outcome Measures due to the PCD has been met.

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Santhosshi Narayanan, MD-Assistant Professor, Integrative Medicine Program
• Organization: UT MD Anderson Cancer Center

snarayanan2@mdanderson.org

(346) 228-6676

Study Officials

• Santhosshi Narayanan

  M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2020
• First Posted: July 22, 2020
• Study Start: June 17, 2020
• Primary Completion: November 5, 2020
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Last Updated: November 19, 2025
• Results First Posted: February 16, 2022

Record last verified: 2025-11

Locations

US (1)