A novel approach to improve stress regulation among traumatized youth in residential care: Feasibility study testing three game-based meditation interventions.
Angela A T Schuurmans, Karin S Nijhof, Ron H. J. Scholte, Arne Popma, Roy Otten
Early Intervention in Psychiatry August 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1111/eip.12874 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Traumatized youth in residential care |
| Interventions | Muse DayDream Wild Divine |
| Duration | 1-month follow-up |
| Measures | heart rate variability, post-traumatic symptoms, stress, depression, anxiety, aggression |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Adolescents Game-based intervention Post-traumatic stress |
| Key points | Muse produced reliable improvements in post-traumatic symptoms, stress, and anxiety for all participants, while DayDream and Wild Divine showed inconsistent results. |
Abstract
Many youth in residential care suffer from post-traumatic symptoms that have adverse effects on a range of psychological, behavioural and physiological outcomes. Although current evidence-based treatment options are effective, they have their limitations. Meditation interventions are an alternative to traditional trauma-focused treatment. This pilot study aimed to evaluate three game-based meditation interventions in a sample of traumatized youth in residential care. Fifteen participants were randomly divided over three conditions (Muse, DayDream and Wild Divine) that all consisted of twelve 15-minute game-play sessions. Physiological measurements (heart rate variability) were conducted at baseline, post-treatment and during each intervention session. Post-traumatic symptoms, stress, depression, anxiety and aggression were assessed at baseline, post-treatment and 1-month follow-up. Physiological stress regulation was improved during the meditation sessions of all three interventions. User evaluations were in particular high for Muse with a rating of 8.42 out of 10 for game evaluation. Overall, outcomes on psychopathology demonstrated the most robust effect on stress. Muse performed best, with all participants showing reliable improvements (reliable change indexes [RCIs]) in post-traumatic symptoms, stress and anxiety. Participants who played Daydream or Wild Divine showed inconsistent progression: some participants improved, whereas others remained stable or even deteriorated based on their RCIs. Preliminary findings show promising outcomes on physiology, psychopathology and user evaluations. All indicate the potential of this innovative form of stress regulation intervention, and the potential of Muse in particular, although findings should be considered preliminary due to our small sample size. Further studies are warranted to assess intervention effectiveness effects of Muse or other game-based meditation interventions for traumatized youth.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Consumer-Grade Neurofeedback With Mindfulness Meditation: Meta-Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research April 17, 2025
- Effectiveness of Meditation Techniques in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) December 12, 2024
- Culturally Responsive Mindfulness for Trauma Recovery in Foster Youth. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma September 2026
- Design and assessment of a serious exergame to promote relaxation through slow-paced breathing International Conference on Serious Games and Applications for Health July 1, 2026
Cites 2
- Mindfulness-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of the treatment literature and neurobiological evidence. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience October 2, 2017
- Mindfulness mediates the physiological markers of stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research August 23, 2017