A Brief, Digital Music-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Black Americans With Elevated Race-Based Anxiety and Little-to-No Meditation Experience (“healing attempt"): Replication and Extension Study (Preprint)
Grant Jones, Franchesca Castro-Ramirez, Maha Al-Suwaidi, Taylor Mcguire, Felipe Herrmann
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Multiple-baseline single-case experiment Randomized Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | Black American adults with elevated race-based trait anxiety and little-to-no meditation experience |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | The brief digital music-based mindfulness intervention "healing attempt" increased mindfulness/self-compassion (Tau-U 0.57-0.86) and decreased state anxiety (Tau-U -0.93 to -0.66) in four Black American adults, with high feasibility and acceptability (average likelihood of recommending: 88/100). The authors conclude it may be a feasible intervention for race-based anxiety, pending randomized trials. |
Abstract
Background: Race-based anxiety is a critical health issue within the Black community. Mindfulness interventions hold promise for treating race-based anxiety in Black Americans; however, there are many barriers that prevent Black Americans from using these treatments, such as low cultural relevance, significant time burdens, and excessive costs.
Objective: This study is a replication and extension of findings that “healing attempt”—a brief (<60-minute), digital, music-based mindfulness intervention—is a feasible and acceptable intervention for race-based anxiety in Black Americans. In this study, we tested this research question among those with little-to-no meditation experience.
Methods: The participants were 4 Black American adults with elevated race-based trait anxiety and little-to-no meditation experience. We used a series of multiple-baseline single-case experiments and conducted study visits on Zoom (Zoom Video Communications) to assess whether the intervention can decrease state anxiety and increase mindfulness and self-compassion in Black Americans. We also assessed feasibility and acceptability using quantitative and qualitative scales.
Results: In line with our hypotheses, “healing attempt” increased mindfulness/self-compassion (Tau-U range: 0.57-0.86; P<.001) and decreased state anxiety (Tau-U range: –0.93 to –0.66; P<.001), with high feasibility and acceptability (the average likelihood of recommending “healing attempt” was 88 out of 100). CONCLUSIONS “healing attempt” may represent a feasible intervention for race-based anxiety in Black Americans with elevated race-based anxiety and little or no mindfulness experience. Future between-subjects randomized feasibility trials can assess whether the intervention can give rise to lasting improvements in race-based anxiety, mindfulness, and self-compassion. CLINICALTRIAL OSF Registries osf.io/k5m93; https://osf.io/k5m93
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... | 2013 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group | n = 37 |
| Being present in the face of existential threat: The role of trait mindfulness in reducing defensive responses to mortality salience. | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience | 2013 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 15 |
| Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience Community adults | 2009 | Quasi-experimental and longitudinal | n = 69 |
| Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment Volunteers | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 11 |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Mindfulness: diverse perspectives on its meaning, origins, and multiple applications at the intersection of science and dharma Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- A Digital Music-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Black Americans With Elevated Race-Based Anxiety: A Multiple-Baseline Pilot Study. JMIR Formative Research August 16, 2023
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Escitalopram for the Treatment of Adults With Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry January 1, 2023
- The Experience of Racism on Behavioral Health Outcomes: The Moderating Impact of Mindfulness. Mindfulness January 2019
and 7 more in the library