Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Rural Women of Lebanon
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 109
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change from baseline to 1 and 3-months on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRS-10)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the experiences of women who learn the TM technique to those who do not. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Do women in rural Lebanon who practice the TM technique experience lower stress levels compared to those who do not.
- Do women in rural Lebanon who practice the TM technique experience increased happiness, self-efficacy, and resilience levels compared to those who do not.
Participants will:
-
complete baseline surveys
-
be divided into experimental and active-control groups
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those in the experimental group will learn the TM technique, the control group will be offered an online didactic course on stress reduction
-
both groups will complete post-test surveys at the end of 1 and 3 months
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Researchers will compare experimental and control groups to see if the intervention effects stress levels.
Detailed Description
Methods: We will measure the effects of TM on 62+ women of the Chouf region of Lebanon using the following measures: Perceived Stress Scale, Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale, New General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Arabic Scale of Happiness. This is a randomized controlled trial with an experimental group and an active wait-list control group.
Measurements will be taken at baseline (pre-test) and at 1 and 3 months post-test.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking Description
The statistician will not be aware of which arm the participants are in.
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 95 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- Female
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Females living in the Chouf region of Lebanon between the ages of 18-
Exclusion Criteria
- •Anyone: not female, under 18 or over 95, not in sound mental condition.
Arms & Interventions
TM Group
The intervention used for this group is instruction in the Transcendental Meditation practice. It is a four day course of instruction with 1.5 hours of instruction over four consecutive days, followed by an additional 1.5 hours of instruction ten days later.
Intervention: Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice (Behavioral)
Active Control Group
This group will be offered an online stress reduction course consisting of two 20-60 minute classes for the first month of the trial.
Intervention: Stress reduction class (online) (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change from baseline to 1 and 3-months on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRS-10)
Time Frame: Change = (week 12-baseline)
The CDRS-10 measures how well one is equipped to bounce back after stressful events, tragedy, or trauma
Change from baseline to 1 and 3-months on the New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE-8)
Time Frame: Change = (week 12-baseline)
The New General Self-Efficacy Scale assesses how much people believe they can achieve their goals, despite difficulties.
Change from baseline to 1 and 3-months on the Arabic Scale of Happiness (ASH-20)
Time Frame: Change = (week 12-baseline)
The ASH-20 seeks to conduct a global, subjective assessment of whether a person is happy or unhappy
Change from baseline to 1 and 3-months on the Perceived Stress Scale(PSS-10)
Time Frame: Change = (week 12-baseline)
The PSS measures the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. Possible scores range from 0=never to 4=very often
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported
Investigators
Marie Loiselle
Director of Evaluation, Assistant Professor
Maharishi International University