Testing the Effectiveness and Implementation of a Meditation App for Youth in the Legal System
Effectiveness and Implementation of a Meditation App Addressing Substance Use, Sexual Health, and Emotion Regulation Among Legal-Involved Youth
University of Illinois at Chicago
300 participants
Jun 5, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The goals of this hybrid type 2 randomized controlled trial (RCT) are to evaluate the effectiveness and individual-level implementation of a 1-month app-based meditation program with youth on probation in Cook County, IL. The primary questions it is designed to answer are: 1. Is the meditation app associated with improvements in behavioral health outcomes including cannabis use problems? 2. Do improvements in emotion regulation appear to mediate the effects of the meditation app on these behavioral health outcomes? 3. Will youth adequately adhere to the meditation app?
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria6
- years old
- In probation programming (i.e., in legal programming but not detained) in Cook County
- Have access to an Apple/Android smartphone
- Understand and provide assent/consent
- Have legal guardian permission (if under 18 years old)
- English-speaking, due to norming of instruments
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Interventions
AIM (Action In Mindfulness) is a smartphone app that teaches users to establish a daily meditation practice via a 30-day "path," with each day consisting of a brief audio- or video-guided file. In addition to the 30 daily path files, users have access to a menu of "to go" audio-guided meditation practices that they may access any time to prepare for particular situations.
HIB (Health In Balance) is a smartphone app that is matched to AIM for time and structure, but includes health promotion content (e.g., educational information on substance use) in place of the meditation content featured in AIM. Like AIM, HIB includes a 30-day "path" of audio and video files, along with a menu of "to go" audio files that users may access any time to review key intervention concepts.
Locations(1)
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NCT06997120