Skip to content

Pilot and Feasibility Studies

ISSN 2055-5784

14 papers in the library · 44 citations · publishing 2018-2026

Papers

Sort Most recent Most cited

Virtual reality mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for reducing psychological distress in people with depression and/or anxiety symptoms: two uncontrolled feasibility studies

Pilot and Feasibility Studies August 4, 2026 Rebecca L. Gould, Matthew Hoad-Robson, Kim Bevan et al.

Abstract Background Group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is recommended for the treatment of subthreshold-to-mild depressive symptoms. Timely access to MBCT, however, is limited by accessibility issues. Self-help MBCT can overcome these issues, but is associated with poorer engagement. Incorporating virtual reality into self-help MBCT (VR-MBCT) may improve engagement, but relatively...

Psilocybin-assisted Existential, Attachment and RelationaL (PEARL) therapy for patients with advanced cancer: protocol for a multi-method feasibility trial

Pilot and Feasibility Studies October 28, 2025 Candice Richardson, Cindy Chan, Emily Macgregor et al. 1 citation

BACKGROUND: Individuals with advanced cancer often experience high levels of distress for which there are few standardized treatment approaches. Our multidisciplinary team has combined existing evidence-based approaches into Psilocybin-assisted Existential, Attachment, and RelationaL (PEARL) therapy. PEARL therapy combines elements from psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, including preparatory...

Combining mindfulness intervention and open-label placebo treatment for chronic pain: a protocol for a feasibility study.

Pilot and Feasibility Studies August 20, 2025 Chung Jung Mun, Estrella Contreras, Yushu Xiao et al.

Mindfulness-based interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), are efficacious mind-body treatments for chronic pain, though their modest effect sizes suggest room for improvement. Notably, recent studies indicate that mindfulness meditation does not engage the endogenous opioid system, which plays an important role in analgesia. Therefore, exploring the combination of a...

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction adapted to pregnant women with psychosocial vulnerabilities - a randomized feasibility trial in a Danish hospital-based outpatient setting.

Pilot and Feasibility Studies June 21, 2025 Sine Skovbjerg, Michelle Kolls, Anette Kjærbye-Thygesen et al.

Supporting prenatal mental health in women with a preconception history of mental disorders or psychosocial vulnerability is important for a positive transition to parenthood. There is a need for more evidence-based and non-pharmacological mental health interventions in antenatal care. The primary objective of this trial was to evaluate the feasibility of prenatal MBSR, which is an adaption of...

Investigating the feasibility of an 8-week mindful breathing programme on breathlessness and self-efficacy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an open-label study.

Pilot and Feasibility Studies April 29, 2025 Shirley Harris, Jennifer Jordan, Amanda Wilkinson et al. 1 citation

High prevalences of anxiety and depression have been found in those with COPD which can exacerbate physically related impacts of increased levels of disability, and reduced enjoyment of life. Of particular concern is the anxiety-breathlessness cycle and reduced self-efficacy, which both adversely affect self-management of symptoms. Recognition of the need to address these issues has led to use...

The feasibility and acceptability of an online mindfulness-based stress reduction program for chronic musculoskeletal pain: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Pilot and Feasibility Studies March 15, 2025 Anita B Amorim, Trudy Rebbeck, Nicholas T. van Dam et al.

Chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions affect millions of people worldwide and place a significant burden on individuals and the healthcare systems. Managing chronic musculoskeletal pain requires a multidisciplinary approach that considers biological, psychological, and social factors. However, access to multidisciplinary pain care is challenging, and long wait times can lead to increased...

PAM trial protocol: a randomised feasibility study of psychedelic microdosing-assisted meaning-centred psychotherapy in advanced stage cancer patients.

Pilot and Feasibility Studies February 12, 2024 Alesha Wells, A P Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Eva Morunga et al. 10 citations

An advanced cancer diagnosis can be associated with a significant profile of distress. Psychedelic compounds have shown clinically significant effects in the treatment of psychological distress in patients with advanced-stage cancer. Given the challenges of delivering timely and effective intervention in the advanced cancer context, it is possible that an alternative, more pragmatic, approach...

An open-label pilot trial assessing tolerability and feasibility of LSD microdosing in patients with major depressive disorder (LSDDEP1).

Pilot and Feasibility Studies October 5, 2023 Carina Joy Donegan, Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Rachael Sumner et al. 23 citations

Globally, an estimated 260 million people suffer from depression [1], and there is a clear need for the development of new, alternative antidepressant therapies. In light of problems with the tolerability and efficacy of available treatments [2], a global trend is emerging for patients to self-treat depression with microdoses of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and...

Trauma-specific mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for women with post-traumatic stress disorder and a history of domestic abuse: intervention refinement and a randomised feasibility trial (coMforT study)

Pilot and Feasibility Studies July 9, 2023 Natalia V. Lewis, Alison Gregory, Gene S. Feder et al.

Abstract Background Women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse (DVA) are at increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD). In 2014–2015, we developed a prototype trauma-specific mindfulness-based cognitive therapy curriculum (TS-MBCT) for the treatment of PTSD in a DVA population. This study aimed to refine the prototype TS-MBCT and...

Conscious connected breathing with breath retention intervention in adults with chronic low back pain: protocol for a randomized controlled pilot study

Pilot and Feasibility Studies January 24, 2023 Steven D. Pratscher, Kimberly T. Sibille, Roger B. Fillingim 9 citations

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a major source of human suffering, and chronic low back pain (cLBP) is among the most prevalent, costly, and disabling of pain conditions. Due to the significant personal and societal burden and the complex and recurring nature of cLBP, self-management approaches that can be practiced at home are highly relevant to develop and test. The respiratory system is one of...

Video-delivered emotion-focused mindfulness therapy for late- life anxiety: study protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial.

Pilot and Feasibility Studies September 3, 2021 Stacey Hatch, Dorothy Kessler, Marcia Finlayson et al.

The worldwide prevalence of anxiety in older adults is estimated at between 6 and 10%. In Canada, adults 65 and older experience anxiety at a rate of 6.4%, affecting more than 300,000 people. Anxiety in older adults has been linked to difficulties retaining new information and engaging in instrumental daily activities of living. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, novel methods of delivering therapy...

Online prenatal trial in mindfulness sleep management (OPTIMISM): protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

Pilot and Feasibility Studies September 20, 2020 Ira Kantrowitz-Gordon, Susan M. McCurry, Carol A. Landis et al.

Abstract Background Sleep deficiency affects a majority of pregnant women with significant impact on daily function, mood, and pregnancy and birth outcomes. This ongoing study combines two evidence-based strategies for improving sleep and mood, mindfulness meditation and cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), in a unique online format to address the particular needs of pregnant...

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme for depression in people with early stages of dementia: study protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility study

Pilot and Feasibility Studies August 14, 2018 Elisa Aguirre, Josh Stott, Georgina Charlesworth et al.

Abstract Background Depression and dementia are major public health problems in the UK. Depression in early-stage dementia is very common and significantly reduces quality of life, speeds cognitive decline and increases functional impairment. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an effective depression prevention programme, and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has...

A pilot randomised controlled trial investigating a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention in individuals with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH): the PATHWAYS study

Pilot and Feasibility Studies May 1, 2018 R. Tulloh, V. Garratt, J. Tagney et al.

BackgroundPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an uncommon condition with progressive heart failure and premature death. Treatment costs up to £120,000 per patient per year, and the psychological burden of PAH is substantial. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an intervention with the potential to reduce this burden, but to date, it has not been applied to people with pulmonary...