Nonrandomized Open Trial of a Mindfulness- and Compassion-Based Selective Preventive Mobile Health Intervention for Forcibly Displaced People.
Shani Zohar Puris, Kim Yuval, Gebreyohans Gebremariam, Simon B. Goldberg, Noga Aviad, Scott A. Baldwin, Amit Bernstein
Mindfulness October 2, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-025-02675-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Nonrandomized single-arm open trial Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Eritrean asylum-seekers living in an unstable urban post-displacement setting in Israel |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-SOS |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Covid-19 Forcibly displaced people Mobile health |
| Registration | NCT04761510 |
| Key findings | Greater engagement with meditation practice exercises was associated with attenuated deterioration in depression and anxiety, but not with change in post-traumatic stress symptoms, from pre- to post-intervention. |
Abstract
This study tested the feasibility of Mindfulness-SOS for Refugees, a novel lay- and minimally guided mobile health mindfulness- and compassion-based intervention, that is trauma-sensitive and socio-culturally adapted for diverse forcibly displaced people. A pre-registered, nonrandomized, single-arm, open-trial of Mindfulness-SOS as a selective preventive intervention was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, among 60 Eritrean asylum-seekers living in an unstable urban post-displacement setting in the Middle East (Israel). Measures included digital usage metrics, and self-report measures of stress- and trauma-related mental health and socio-contextual stressors. Asylum-seekers (n = 58) demonstrated high rates of adherence to the session modules and generally moderate rates of overall adherence. Elevated pre-intervention post-traumatic stress symptoms severity and post-migration living difficulties stressors prospectively predicted lower levels of engagement with meditation practice exercises. Finally, greater engagement with meditation practice exercises was associated with attenuated deterioration in depression and anxiety, but not with change in post-traumatic stress symptoms, from pre- to post-intervention. Mindfulness-SOS may be a feasible selective preventive intervention approach among asylum-seekers in stressful post-displacement settings. The study was pre-registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04761510; clinicaltrials.gov; 2021-02-17).
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
Cites 18
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- The efficacy of mindfulness apps on symptoms of depression and anxiety: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review February 1, 2024
- Experiences of Using Digital Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Rapid Scoping Review and Thematic Synthesis. Journal of Medical Internet Research September 28, 2023
and 13 more in the library