Feasibility Testing a Meditation App for Youth in the Legal System

NCT05146167 | Completed DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 2018-0889R00DA047890
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 107
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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. 1.Will youth adequately adhere to the 1-month meditation app?
2. 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?

Conditions

Behavioral Health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• App adherence

  Days of objective app usage

  1 month

• Percentage of participants who complete the cannabis use measure at each time point

  Cannabis use is measured with the Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test-Revised

  Baseline, 1 month, 6 months

• Percentage of participants who complete the sexual health measure at each time point

  Sexual health is measured with a modified version of the AIDS Risk Behavior Assessment

  Baseline, 1 month, 6 months

• Percentage of participants who complete the mental health symptoms measure at each time point

  Mental health symptoms are measured with the Youth Self Report

  Baseline, 1 month, 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Percentage of participants who complete other substance use measures at each time point

  Baseline, 1 month, 6 months

• Percentage of participants who complete other mental health measures at each time point

  Baseline, 1 month, 6 months

Other Outcomes (1)

• Percentage of participants who complete other outcome measures at each time point

  Baseline, 1 month, 6 months

Study Arms (2)

Bodhi AIM

EXPERIMENTAL

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

Behavioral: Bodhi AIM (intervention group)

HIB

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

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

Behavioral: HIB (control group)

Interventions

Bodhi AIM (intervention group) BEHAVIORAL

Bodhi AIM (Action In Mindfulness) is a smartphone-based app that teaches users to establish a daily meditation practice via a 30-day "path," with each day consisting of a brief audio- or video-guided file. In addition to the 30 daily path files, users have access to a menu of "to go" audio-guided meditation practices that they may access any time to prepare for particular situations (e.g., attending a party).

Bodhi AIM

HIB (control group) BEHAVIORAL

HIB (Health In Balance) is a smartphone-based app that is matched to Bodhi AIM for time and structure, but includes health promotion content (e.g., educational information on substance use) in place of the meditation content featured in Bodhi AIM. Like Bodhi AIM, HIB includes a 30-day "path" of audio and video files, along with a menu of "to go" audio files that users may access any time to review key intervention concepts.

HIB

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Illinois at Chicago: lead
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Control Groups

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Research Design; Methods

Study Officials

• Ashley D Kendall, PhD

  University of Illinois at Chicago

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Both participants and outcome assessors will be blind to condition through completion of the baseline assessment. Condition will become apparent to both participants and assessors at the time of app download, but will not be revealed to assessors at either of the follow-up time points until after the quantitative measures are complete.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: 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.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 8, 2021
• First Posted: December 6, 2021
• Study Start: April 5, 2022
• Primary Completion: October 15, 2025
• Study Completion: October 15, 2025
• Last Updated: November 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

US (1)