Remote Mindfulness Training Following Early Life Adversity

Smartphone-based Mindfulness Training for Health Following Early Life Adversity

This study will test the feasibility of delivering smartphone-based mindfulness and coping interventions to a sample of emerging/young adults with a history of early life adversity (ELA). 80 participants with a history of ELA will be randomly assigned to complete a two-week mindfulness training intervention or matched coping control intervention, both involving 14 foundational audio-guided lessons and practice prompts randomly delivered 3x daily. At baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up lab assessments, participants will complete questionnaires and provide blood samples for assessment of markers of inflammation. Data assessing subjective and physiological stress in daily life will be collected during the intervention and for one week before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. Passive sensor data will be continuously collected from participants' smartphones and wearable devices to develop exploratory models that estimate and predict daily life stress. Data will be used to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of interventions and assessments in an ELA sample, test effects of mindfulness training on daily life stress and markers of inflammation in an ELA sample, and develop exploratory machine learning models of stress from passive sensor data.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ages 18-29 years
• English speaking
• History of moderate-to-severe physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in childhood
• Data-enabled Android or iOS smartphone
• Able to meet study requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

• Self-reported diagnosis of chronic physical disease (e.g., cancer, HIV, heart disease, diabetes, bleeding disorder)
• Self-reported diagnosis of chronic mental disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, personality disorder, or psychotic illness), major neurological disorder, or suicidal thoughts or wishes at baseline
• Substance use disorder
• Medication use that interferes with HPA-axis activity (e.g., corticosteroids), autonomic activity (e.g., antihypertensive medication), inflammatory activity (e.g., cholesterol medications), or blood clotting
• Current antibiotic, antiviral, or antimicrobial treatment
• Shift workers
• Pregnancy
• Regular systematic mind-body practice (>2 times per week)