Mindfulness in a College Physiology Course
- Conditions
- MindfulnessStressPerceived StressCollege Student Mental Health
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Biology Course with Integrated Mindfulness
- Registration Number
- NCT06423053
- Lead Sponsor
- Trustees of Dartmouth College
- Brief Summary
This proposed study aims to evaluate whether integrating mindfulness into an undergraduate biology course (Mindful Physiology) influences student applied mindfulness and stress regulation.
The primary questions are
1. Would completing the Mindful Physiology course increase applied mindfulness?
2. Would completing the course increase self-efficacy in stress regulation?
3. Would completing the course reduce perceived reactivity to acute stressors?
- Detailed Description
The proposed study aims to evaluate whether integrating mindfulness practice into an undergraduate biology course influences student levels of applied mindfulness and stress regulation self-efficacy. A two-arm design will look at students who receive the intervention (a 10-week biology course with integrated mindfulness practice) and a control group of waitlisted students for the course who will only receive university wellness resources. Participants all attempted to register for the course during a set course selection period at the college and were randomly registered or waitlisted by the College Registrar. Students registered and waitlisted for the course will be recruited for the study, and those who provide informed consent will be enrolled. Data on applied mindfulness and stress regulation self-efficacy will be collected at baseline and the conclusion of the intervention (\~10 weeks). Additionally, over weeks 8 and 9, participants will be invited for an in-person lab visit for a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-OL) to assess reactivity to an acute social stressor.
This study aims to examine whether integrating mindfulness practice into a ten-week undergraduate-level biology course will enhance applied mindfulness and stress regulation capacity. We hypothesize that completing this ten-week course will (1) increase applied mindfulness, (2) increase self-efficacy in stress regulation, and (3) decrease perceived stress in response to an acute stressor.
Secondary analyses will also evaluate differential changes in individual well-being score components (including learning-related anxiety, self-compassion, social connectedness, alcohol use, media addiction, overall well-being, and physiological reactivity to an acute stressor).
Linear mixed effect models with a time and treatment interaction term and random intercepts by the participant will be fit to examine the first two hypotheses to account for repeated measurements and potential data missingness. To test the third hypothesis, we will compute the pre- to post-stress induction changes in subjective stress. Next, two-sample t-tests will be run on each change score to examine differences in responses to the stress challenge between the two groups. As sensitivity analyses, effect modification by baseline dispositional mindfulness, perceived stress over the last month, and severity of anxiety will be examined by including a three-way interaction term in the models to understand whether the intervention effect differs by these baseline characteristics. Further, the effect of the class on secondary outcomes will be explored with linear mixed-effect models. All analyses will consider a p-value \< 0.05 as statistical significance.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 80
Not provided
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Biology 3 students Biology Course with Integrated Mindfulness This arm consists of students enrolled in Dartmouth College's Biology 3 course during Spring 2024 term, who will have access to course offerings and usual university wellness resources (as described for the control arm).
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Applied Mindfulness Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Students will complete the Applied Mindfulness Process Scale (AMPS) at baseline and post-intervention completion. The scale consists of 15 questions that quantify the application of mindfulness skills to navigate difficult situations and stressors in life. The AMPS encompasses three subscales: decentering, negative emotion regulation, and positive emotion regulation. The total scores are the sum across items. The total possible scores range from 0 to 60. Higher scores reflect a more active use of mindfulness practice in everyday life. The scale showed high internal validity with a Cronbach's α of 0.91 in 134 adults in the original study. Additionally, the application of mindfulness in stressful situations will be assessed during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in our lab. Participants will report whether they have used mindfulness techniques during the stress challenge.
Stress Management Self-Efficacy Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Participants will evaluate their confidence in managing stress with the Stress Management Self-Efficacy Scale (α = 0.86, N = 2292). The scale has four items, e.g., "I believe I have the ability to cope with the demands of my life." Additionally, students will answer three items from the Stress Management Self-Efficacy Measure on self-efficacy in recognizing the physiological responses to stress. The items are (1) I am confident identifying the causes of stress, (2) I am confident identifying physiological indicators of stress, and (3) I am confident predicting the consequences of stress. All items will be rated on a four-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). A global score will be computed with the mean across the seven items (range: 1 to 4), with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy in identifying and managing stress.
Perceived Stress in Response to an Acute Stressor Intervention completion (~8 and 9 weeks) Stress reactivity will be assessed during an in-person lab visit with the online Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-OL). The TSST-OL is a computerized stress induction protocol, including 5 minutes of brief preparation, 5 minutes of public speaking (job interview), and 5 minutes of a math test in front of a panel of evaluators online. Our protocol will be modified to use a pre-recorded video of the panel of evaluators to give the impression of a live audience and minimize research assistant time while maintaining the conditions of the established TSST-OL. Perceived stress will be assessed at baseline (five minutes before the speech preparation) and immediately after the TSST with the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS). Participants will rate their level of distress from 0 (totally relaxed) to 100 (highest distress). Perceived stress reactivity will be operationalized as the difference between the post-TSST and baseline ratings.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Social Connectedness Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Social belongingness will be measured via the revised Social Connectedness Scale (SCS-r). Participants will rate 20 items on a six-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), e.g., "I am able to relate to my peers." A total score will be computed by taking the sum across items. Possible scores range from 20 to 120, with 120 indicating the strongest sense of belongingness.
Self-Compassion Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Self-compassion will be measured with the Self-Compassion Scale short-form (SCS-SF). This 12-item questionnaire evaluates how often one treats themselves with kindness rather than judgment during challenging moments. This instrument showed high internal validation in the original study (α ≥ .86) and correlated highly (r ≥ 0.97) with the original 33-item Self-Compassion Scale. The total possible score ranges from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate more self-compassion.
Overall Well-Being Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Overall well-being will be assessed with the ten-item Flourish measure. This self-report instrument has five domains: (1) life satisfaction (e.g., "In general, how happy or unhappy do you usually feel?"), (2) mental and physical health (e.g., "How would you rate your physical health?"), (3) meaning and purpose (e.g., "I understand my purpose in life."), (4) character and virtue (e.g., "I always act to promote good in all circumstances, even in difficult and challenging situations."), and (5) social relationships (e.g., "I am content with my friendships and relationships"). Items will be rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with higher scores reflecting more positive well-being. A total score will be computed by summing item responses (range: 0 to 50).
Mental Well-Being Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Psychological well-being will be assessed with the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Participants will rate five positively phrased items on subjective well-being, i.e., "I have felt cheerful and in good spirits." Responses are anchored from 0 (none of the time) to 5 (all the time). The total score is the sum of item responses ranging from 0 to 25, with 25 indicating the maximum possible mental well-being. The index has shown high internal consistency with α = 0.86 and test-retest reliability of r = 0.77 in 903 college students.
Resillience Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Resilience to stress will be measured with the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). The scale has six items on the ability to recover from difficulties in life, e.g., "I tend to bounce back quickly after hard times." Responses are anchored on a five-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The final score is the mean across the items, ranging from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate more resilience. The scale demonstrated high internal validity with α ranging from 0.84 and 0.87 in two samples of US undergraduate students.
Learning-Related Anxiety Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Anxiety around learning will be assessed with the learning-related anxiety subscale from the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Short Form (AEQ-S). Participants will rate four five-point Likert scales on feelings of anxiousness when studying, e.g., "I get tense and nervous while studying." The subscale showed adequate internal validity in the original study with an α of 0.72 in 180 adults (71% female, 58% White).
Social Media Addiction Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Addictive use of social media will be examined with the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Participants will rate six items reflecting elements of addiction to social media, e.g., "I spent a lot of time thinking about social media or planned use of social media (salience)" and "I felt an urge to use social media more and more (craving/tolerance)." Responses are anchored from 1 (very rarely) to 5 (very often). A total score will be computed by summing all item responses (range: 1 to 30). Higher scores indicate more addictive use of social media. The scale has shown adequate internal validity (α = 0.88, N = 23533 adults).
Alcohol Intake Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) Alcohol intake will be assessed via the Consumption subscale from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C). The AUDIT-C has three items on the frequency and quantity of alcohol use. The total score is the sum across items, which range from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating a higher risk of alcohol abuse or dependence. A score of 3 and above is indicative of possible risky drinking that warns of clinical concerns.
Physiological Stress in Response to an Acute Stressor Intervention completion (~8 and 9 weeks) During the TSST, heart rate will be collected via a chest-worn monitor Polar H10 chest strap device (Polar Electro Oy, Kempele, Finland) and video-based photoplethysmography (PPG) (GoPro 9, San Mateo, US). The mean of the heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) will be computed for three phases: the last 5 minutes of the baseline resting period, the last 3 minutes of the TSST, and the last 5 minutes of the recovery phase. Reactivity to the acute stressor will be operationalized as the differences in heart rate parameters during the TSST from the baseline. Recovery from the acute stressor will be operationalized as the difference between the recovery phase and baseline.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Dartmouth College
🇺🇸Hanover, New Hampshire, United States