A self-directed, 21-day digital course (Digital Intervention for Psychedelic Preparation, DIPP) was developed to help people prepare for psychedelic experiences. The course is based on a four-factor model of psychedelic preparedness: Knowledge-Expectation, Psychophysical-Readiness, Safety-Planning, and Intention-Preparation. It includes daily meditation, weekly exercises, and mood tracking. Development followed the UK Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions and used a person-centred, co-design approach. Interviews with 19 past retreat attendees and co-design workshops with 28 current retreat attendees shaped the intervention. DIPP offers a scalable, digital solution to enhance preparedness, aiming to limit adverse reactions and improve therapeutic benefits.
Almost half of a U.S. population-based sample (49.3%) had meditated at least once, and 35.0% had practiced in the past year. Persistence was measured as lifetime number of sessions and current practice frequency. Factors linked to greater persistence included having spoken with a meditation teacher, higher perceived effectiveness, positive social norms about meditation, lower perceived barriers, higher conscientiousness, a wellbeing growth mindset, and retreat experience. Factors linked to less persistence included first exposure through technology and having a mental health motivation. First exposure through a smartphone app or through friends and family showed no association with persistence.
An eight-week online mindfulness program for Oxford University students during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced anxiety symptoms more than a waitlist control condition, but did not significantly reduce depression symptoms. The trial included a one-month follow-up after the intervention ended.