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Feasibility Testing a Meditation App for Professionals Working With Youth in the Legal System: Protocol for a Hybrid Type 2 Effectiveness-Implementation Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

JMIR research protocols
April 24, 2025
Ashley D Kendall et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleClinical Trial ProtocolHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the adherence to and implementation of a meditation app (Bodhi AIM+) adapted for professionals working with youth in the legal system, as well as its potential effects on emotion regulation and mental health outcomes.

Results Summary

The study is currently underway, with results anticipated in 2026; no findings on efficacy or outcomes are yet available.

Population

Probation officers and other professionals working with youth in the legal system (N=50).

Effective Dosage

Participants were asked to follow a 30-day path of brief audio- or video-guided content, with additional app features available as desired.

Duration

30 days

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (3)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
mindfulness meditation
decrease
emotion dysregulation
-
-
can be improved
#1
app-based meditation programs
decrease
tools for mitigating the effects of chronic workplace stress
professionals
-
could provide
#2
Bodhi AIM+ meditation app
neutral
app adherence (ie, ongoing app usage per objective analytics data)
professionals who work with youth in the legal system
-
will be evaluated for
#3
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Probation officers and other professionals who work with youth in the legal system often experience high chronic workplace stress, which can contribute over time to elevations in anxiety, depression, and workplace burnout. Emotion dysregulation appears to function as a common mechanism underlying these elevations, and growing evidence suggests it can be improved with mindfulness meditation. Implemented successfully, app-based meditation programs could provide professionals with real-time tools for mitigating the effects of chronic workplace stress. OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the protocol for a hybrid type 2 effectiveness-implementation pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Bodhi AIM+, a meditation app adapted with and for professionals who work with youth in the legal system. The adaptation process and implementation plan, as well as the pilot RCT design, were guided by theoretically driven implementation science frameworks. The primary outcome of the pilot RCT is app adherence (ie, ongoing app usage per objective analytics data). METHODS: The RCT will be fully remote. Officers and other professionals who work with youth in the legal system (N=50) will be individually randomized to use the meditation app or an active control app matched for time and structure. All participants will be asked to follow a 30-day path of brief audio- or video-guided content and invited to use additional app features as desired. In-app analytics will capture the objective usage of each feature. An adaptive engagement design will be employed to engage nonusers of both apps, whereby analytics data indicating nonuse will trigger additional support (eg, text messages promoting engagement). Mental health outcomes and potential moderators and covariates will be self-reported at baseline, posttest, and 6 months. Participants will also complete 1-week bursts of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) at baseline and over the last week of the intervention to capture the mechanistic target (ie, emotion regulation) in real time. All participants will be invited to complete qualitative posttest interviews. Descriptive statistics will be calculated for quantitative data. Qualitative data will be analyzed using a combined deductive-inductive approach. The quantitative and qualitative data will be incorporated into a mixed methods triangulation design, allowing for the evaluation of app adherence and other implementation outcomes as well as related barriers and facilitators to implementation. RESULTS: Enrollment into the trial started in December 2024 and is currently underway. Study results are anticipated to be available in 2026. CONCLUSIONS: Completion of this pilot trial will inform a future, fully powered RCT to formally evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of Bodhi AIM+. Its use of implementation science methods, coupled with digital technology, positions the present study not only to help make meditation tools available to an important workforce at scale but also to inform broader efforts at implementing and evaluating health apps within workplace settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClincialTrials.gov NCT06555172; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06555172. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/71867.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansMeditationPilot ProjectsMobile ApplicationsMindfulnessFeasibility StudiesOccupational StressRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicFemaleMaleWorkplace
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Quality85/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.70
Normalized Score0.57
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