Effects of Mindfulness Training on Emotional Care Strategies

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Mental Health Issue
• Interventions: Behavioral: 8-week mindfulness program

• Registration Number: NCT05056428
• Lead Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong

Brief Summary

Teachers in Hong Kong are susceptible to professional stress and its associated psychosomatic illnesses. To enhance teachers' well-being, mindfulness training is conducted in local schools. The present study is a randomized controlled trial to investigate 1) the effects of mindfulness training on teachers' well-being (i.e. general health, positive affect, stress, negative affect); 2) whether decentering strategy (vs. cognitive reappraisal strategy) is nurtured by mindfulness practice; and 3) whether decentering instead of cognitive reappraisal is the mediator that explains the impact of mindfulness on well-being. Participants will be randomized to either intervention (8-week .b Foundations course) or waiting-list control condition.

Detailed Description

All the participants will complete an online survey before (baseline), after (post-intervention), and two-months (follow-up) after the intervention. A subset of participants (N = 30) will complete an electroencephalography (EEG) experiment.

Prior to the experiment, participants will complete an online questionnaire writing down eight recent autobiographical situations: four reflecting a neutral experience, two reflecting events that triggered anxiety, and two reflecting events that triggered sadness. After writing about each situation, participants will be asked to identify five keywords that are both unique and tightly linked to each situation.

During the experiment, participants will be reminded of the autobiographical situations in the computerized task. Participants will be asked to view the keywords (i.e. control condition); step back and view the keywords like an impartial observer, allowing whatever thoughts or emotions arise to come and go (i.e. decentering condition); and think about the keywords from different perspective to minimize negative emotions (i.e. reappraisal condition). EEG will be recorded while participants complete the task. Participants will receive $200 Hong Kong dollars each time as a remuneration for the time to participate in the experiment.

Basic Information
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Recruitment & Eligibility
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Study & Design
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Trial Locations

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-09-08
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-09-15
• Study First Posted: 2021-09-24
• Study Start: 2021-09-25
• Primary Completion: 2022-03-31
• Study Completion: 2022-03-31
• Status Verified: 2022-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-05-17
• Last Update Posted: 2022-05-18

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 328

Inclusion Criteria

• Aged 18 years old or above
• Working in local schools or education institutions
• Willing to participate in mindfulness training voluntarily

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Exclusion Criteria

• Have history of neurological or psychiatric disorder, brain injury, birth complications, or significant sensory impairment
• Currently under medications that are known to affect the brain (e.g. anti-depressants, epileptica, tranquilizer, sleep medication, psychotropics, ritalin, concerta, etc.)
• Experiencing severe or unstable mental health condition currently
• Completed 8-week mindfulness training previously
• Unwilling to go by random assignment

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intervention group	8-week mindfulness program	8-week mindfulness program

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Stress	Baseline, Immediately after intervention, Two-months after intervention	Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), 10 items, 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always)
Change in General Health	Baseline, Immediately after intervention, Two-months after intervention	General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), 12 items, 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Negative affect	Baseline, Immediately after intervention, Two-months after intervention	Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), 4 items, 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always)
Change in Decentering	Baseline, Immediately after intervention, Two-months after intervention	Non Reactivity Subscale of Chinese Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-C), 4 items, 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always)
Change in Mindfulness	Baseline, Immediately after intervention, Two-months after intervention	Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R), 12 items, 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always)
Change in Late positive potential (LPP)	Baseline, Immediately after intervention	A measure of emotional reactivity in EEG experiment; the amplitude of event-related potential (ERP) time-locked to the presentation of emotional stimulus (-200ms to 6000ms).
Change in Positive affect	Baseline, Immediately after intervention, Two-months after intervention	Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), 4 items, 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always)
Change in Reappraisal	Baseline, Immediately after intervention, Two-months after intervention	Reappraisal subscale of Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), 6 items, 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Jockey Club "Peace and Awareness" Mindfulness Culture in Schools Initiative, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong; 🇭🇰 Hong Kong, Hong Kong