Calm College: A Brief Mobile App Meditation Intervention Among Stressed College Students
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Arizona State University
- Enrollment
- 88
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Stress (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
This research investigated the effects of a mindfulness meditation mobile application (i.e., Calm College) on reducing stress in undergraduate college students with moderate, high, or extreme levels of stress as compared to a delayed intervention group.
Detailed Description
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a mindfulness meditation mobile application (i.e., Calm College) on reducing stress in ASU undergraduate students with moderate, high, or extreme levels of stress as compared to a delayed response group.
The study design is a randomized control trial with baseline, post-intervention (8 wks from baseline), and follow-up (12 wks from baseline) assessments. College students will be randomized to either a Calm College Intervention group or a delayed response group. Participants will be randomized after the completion of baseline and informed consent.
Aim 1: Investigate the effects of an 8-wk mobile meditation application (i.e., Calm) to reduce self-reported stress in ASU undergraduate students with moderate, high or extreme levels of stress as compared to a wait-list control group.
Aim 2: Explore the relationship between stress and reported health risk behaviors (i.e., inadequate sleep, physical inactivity, dietary behaviors, and alcohol consumption) in college students who use a mobile meditation application (i.e, Calm).
Recruitment: Participants will be recruited during September 2017. Interested participants will be directed to a Qualtrics link to complete an online eligibility screener. The screener will take approximately 10 minutes to complete (See Eligibility Survey). The survey will be free, voluntary, and available online. Participants will be allowed to skip questions in the survey.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Current full-time undergraduate student at Arizona State University
- •18 years of age
- •Able to read/understand English
- •Own a smartphone
- •A score of 14 or higher on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
- •Willingness to be randomized
- •Willingness to download the Calm application
Exclusion Criteria
- •Participated in any mindfulness based practice within the last 6 months
- •Currently utilize Calm or any other mindfulness based mobile application
- •low levels of stress (i.e., less than a score of 14 assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale)
Arms & Interventions
Calm
The intervention ran for 8-wks with a 4-wk follow-up period. Intervention participants completed "7 days of Calm" during Week 1. For the remaining weeks (Week 2- Week 8) intervention participants were asked to meditate during the weekday from a 10-minute meditation of their choice. Throughout the intervention, the Calm College group were sent reminder texts/emails via Google Voice to participate in the meditation sessions if participants are not meditating for more than 30 minutes a week (see Participant Scripts).
Intervention: Calm (Behavioral)
Control
This group was a wait list control group who received the treatment following the intervention period.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Stress (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score)
Time Frame: 8 weeks post baseline
The PSS is a 10-item inventory used for the assessment of perceived stress. The scale measures the degree to which situations are appraised as stressful. ?". The items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Higher scores indicate higher levels of stress. Scores are computed via sum.
Secondary Outcomes
- Physical Activity (Aerobic and strength training, using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS))(8 weeks post baseline)
- Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)(8 weeks post baseline)
- Sleep (Self-reported sleep using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Short Form (PROMIS 8a))(8 weeks post baseline)
- Diet (Fruit and vegetable consumption, using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS))(8 weeks post baseline)
- Alcohol Consumption (Alcohol consumption, using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS))(8 weeks post baseline)
- Self-Compassion Survey Short-Form (SCS-SF)(8 weeks post baseline)
Investigators
Jennifer Huberty
Associate Professor
Arizona State University