Implementation of Mind-Body Practices in an Online Community of Caring (CaringBridge)

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Cancer; Stress
• Interventions: Behavioral: LovingKindess Meditation

• Registration Number: NCT05002842
• Lead Sponsor: University of Minnesota

Brief Summary

CaringBridge (CB) is an online health community for people undergoing challenging health journeys. This platform provides an opportunity for individuals and their caregivers to rally support for a loved-one during a health journey. CaringBridge offers the opportunity for expressive writing through journal entries, wellbeing resources, participant health journey stories, and practical scheduling and communication tools to support community, healing, and wellbeing. Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM) is a systemized mind-body approach developed to increase loving acceptance and has been shown to increase resilience in the face of adversity. The aim of this study is to better understand how mind-body practices, like LKM, impact adult CB users

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-05-01
• Primary Completion: 2018-12-01
• Study Completion: 2018-12-01
• Study First Submitted: 2021-08-04
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-08-04
• Study First Posted: 2021-08-12
• Status Verified: 2023-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-05-08
• Last Update Posted: 2023-05-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 979

Inclusion Criteria

• English literacy
• CaringBridge user with an active email address
• Visitor/Caregiver/Patient on a Cancer Journey (for Phase 2 only)

Exclusion Criteria

• N/A

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SEQUENTIAL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Delayed Intervention	LovingKindess Meditation	Those in the deferred intervention arm will commence the LovingKindness Meditation practice intervention approximately 3 weeks (post 3 -week survey) after enrollment and participate three weeks thereafter.
Immediate Intervention	LovingKindess Meditation	Those in the immediate intervention arm will begin the LovingKindess Meditation practice upon enrollment.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Perceived Stress: The Perceived Stress Scale	3 weeks	The Perceived Stress Scale is a 10-item scale for measuring one's perception of stress. All 10 items are assessed by asking how often a respondent felt a certain way on a 5-point Likert measure (0 = Never; 4 = Very Often), with a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 40. Higher total scores indicate greater perceived stress.; This will be assessed at baseline and week three, in addition to week six for the deferred arm.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Compassionate Love: The Compassionate Love for Humanity Scale	3 weeks	The Compassionate Love Scale (CLS) is a 21-item measure of the stranger-humanity version of the original CLS designed to measure compassionate love for humanity (range 38-147). Higher CLS scores indicate greater compassionate love for humanity.; This will be assessed at baseline and week three, in addition to week six for the deferred arm.
Change in Social Support: The Social Assurance Scale	3 weeks	Social assurance is assessed with 8 items on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = strongly agree through 6 = strongly disagree), with a total range of 8-48. Social Assurance is reverse coded such that high scores indicate higher social assurance. This will be assessed at baseline and week three, in addition to week six for the deferred arm.
Change in Self-Compassion: The Self-Compassion Scale	3 weeks	The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) is a 12-item, shortened version of the original longer 26-item self-compassion scale (range 12-60). The 12-item SCS contains the same higher-order factor structure as the 26-item scale with a general Higher-Order Self-Compassion factor and six second-order factors of Self-Kindness, Self-Judgement, Common Humanity, Isolation, Mindfulness, and Over-Identification. All 12 items are assessed by asking how often a respondent felt a certain way on a 5-point Likert measure (1 =Almost never; 5 =Almost always). Higher SCS scores are associated with psychological well-being and suggest self-compassion might be an important protective factor, fostering emotional resilience.; This will be assessed at baseline and week three, in addition to week six for the deferred arm.
Change in Social Support: The Social Connectedness Scale	3 weeks	Social connectedness is assessed with 8 items on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = strongly agree through 6 = strongly disagree), with a total range of 8-48. Social connectedness is reverse coded such that high scores indicate higher social connection.; This will be assessed at baseline and week three, in addition to week six for the deferred arm.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Minnesota; 🇺🇸 Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States