Clinical trial NCT03079154: The Influence of Mindfulness on the Link Between Consumer Culture Values and Well-being
Official title: A Pilot RCT Intervention to Test the Impact of High and Low-intensity Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on Self, Values, and Well-being
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mental Health and General Well-being
Lead sponsor: University of Sussex
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Sussex Mindfulness Centre
First posted: 2017-03-14
Enrollment: 180
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: The study is a three-arm intervention, where students are randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Teacher-led group-based MBCT, Self-guided MBCT using an audio book, or 'wait list' control. Pre-intervention, respondents complete a questionnaire assessing self, values, psychological processes related to self, and well-being. Post-intervention, respondents complete the same questionnaire, and then take part in a laboratory-based study which assesses behaviours related to the variables measured in the questionnaires. We are aiming for a sample size of 180 students at Sussex, 60 in each intervention arm.

Detailed description: Substantive evidence shows that mindfulness training improves mental health and general well-being (see meta-analyses by Cavanagh, Strauss, and colleagues). A significant factor that reduces well-being is the internalisation of two core consumer culture values: a materialistic value orientation (MVO) and body perfect ideals (see meta-analyses by Dittmar and colleagues for MVO, and Grabe et al, Barlett et al. for idealised media models). Thus, mindfulness may act as a buffer against the negative impact of consumer culture ideals, consistent with value circumplex models which place materialistic and appearance-focused values at the self-enhancement end, opposite to self-transcendence values, such as caring for self and others and community engagement.

Self-transcendence values lead to psychological need satisfaction, whereas consumer culture values undermine such satisfaction (Self-Determination Theory).

Three novel questions are examined: (1) Is change in self-related values and psychological processes significant for the beneficial consequences of mindfulness for well-being? (2) Does mindfulness training reduce consumer culture values and associated harmful behaviours, such as disordered eating and excessive buying? (3) Do high and low intensity mindfulness interventions differ in impact?

The project involves collaboration with Kate Cavanagh in Psychology and the Co-Directors of the Sussex Centre for Mindfulness Clara Strauss and Robert Marx. It consists of: 1. qualitative interviews with experienced mindfulness teachers, 2. a multi-phase student intervention study, and 3. an exposure experiment with the same student sample.

Study 1: INTERVIEWS WITH MINDFULNESS TEACHERS (n=12) Semi-structured interviews with teachers (recruited through the UK Network of Mindfulness Teacher Training Organisations) will examine their views on the psychological processes significant in individuals' mental health improvement, focusing on processes related to values and self. Interviews will be audio-taped.

Study 2: INTERVENTION WITH STUDENTS (n=165-180) Phase 1: Online survey to collect baseline measures on all variables of interest, using established scales Trait mindfulness (Gu et al, 2016); Consumer Culture Values (Easterbrook et al., 2014); Core Self Beliefs (Fowler et al, 2006); Self-Discrepancies (Dittmar et al., 1996; Self-compassion (Neff, 2016); Self-esteem (Robins et al., 2001; Self-objectification (Lindner \& Tantleff-Dunn, in press); Self-worth (Crocker et al., 2003); Self-concept clarity (Campbell et al., 2003); Self-construal (individualist vs. relational) (Aron et al., 1992); Social comparison tendency (Gibbons \& Buunk, 1999); Consumer self-confidence, author, date); Mental health assessment (DASS-21); Subjective well-being (Dittmar \& Kapur, 2001); Body esteem (Mendelson et al., 2001); Material esteem (Dittmar et al., 2016); Eating Behaviour (Van Strien et al., 1986, shortened); Excessive Buying (Dittmar et al., 2007); Emotion regulation (Bjureberg, 2016); Consumption-based coping (Wright et al., 2016)

Phase 2: Intervention (randomised control trial)

* 8-week mindfulness-based cognitive group therapy course guided by (non-NHS) mindfulness teachers (high intensity)
* Self-guided MBCT training using a published audio book and CDs (low intensity)
* 'Waiting list' (control; respondents are offered the book after the study)

Phase 3: On-line survey (same as Phase 1) Study 3: IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO CONSUMER CULTURE STIMULI (n=165-180) Using a 3 (mindfulness intervention condition) x 4 (CC stimuli: materialistic, appearance, combination, control) design, respondents view a film excerpt that contains an ad break (containing CC stimuli, approved in ER/HMC28/2), and then complete measures of actual eating (respondents will be offered food as a reward) and buying behaviour (approved in ER/RLJ/1), as well as selected measures used in Phases 1 and 3.

Studies 2 and 3 include 3 ug and 3 masters research projects.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Student at the University of Sussex

Exclusion Criteria:

Having experienced a significant life event (e.g., bereavement) in the six months proceeding the study Suffering from a mental health condition at clinical levels Having prior time commitments that prevent the respondents from taking parts in all phases of the study

Primary outcomes:
measure: Indicators of psychological well-being: Change in Mental health
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Indicators of psychological well-being: Change in Subjective well-being
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Indicators of psychological well-being: Change in consumption-based coping
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by beingcollected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Indicators of psychological well-being: Change in body esteem
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Indicators of psychological well-being: Change in material esteem
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Indicators of psychological well-being: Change in eating behaviour
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Indicators of psychological well-being: Change in excessive buying
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Indicators of psychological well-being: Change in emotional regulation
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Consumer culture values (materialistic and appearance-focused personal values)
timeFrame: This self-report measure will be collected five-six weeks before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and immediately after exposure to consumer culture stimuli in phase 4 of the research
measure: Behavioural measure related to consumer culture: eating
timeFrame: This behavioural measure will be collected immediately after exposure to consumer culture stimuli in phase 4 of the research
measure: Behavioural measure related to consumer culture: buying consumer goods online
timeFrame: This behavioural measure will be collected immediately after exposure to consumer culture stimuli in phase 4 of the research
Other outcomes:
measure: Self and self-related processes: Change in core self beliefs
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Self and self-related processes: Change in self-discrepancies
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Self and self-related processes: Change in self-compassion
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Self and self-related processes: Change in self-concept clarity
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Self and self-related processes: Change in self-construal
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
measure: Self and self-related processes: Change in social comparison tendency
timeFrame: The change in this self-report measure will be be measured by being collected five-six weeks before the intervention, and immediately after the intervention
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Sussex
name: Helga Dittmar, DPhil
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Gu J, Strauss C, Crane C, Barnhofer T, Karl A, Cavanagh K, Kuyken W. Examining the factor structure of the 39-item and 15-item versions of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire before and after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for people with recurrent depression. Psychol Assess. 2016 Jul;28(7):791-802. doi: 10.1037/pas0000263. Epub 2016 Apr 14.
citation: Easterbrook, M. J., Wright, M. L., Dittmar, H., & Banerjee, R. (2014). Consumer culture ideals, extrinsic motivations, and well-being in children. European Journal of Social Psychology, 44(4), 349-359. doi:10.1002/ejsp.2020
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citation: Dittmar H, Beattie J, Friese S. Objects, decision considerations and self-image in men's and women's impulse purchases. Acta Psychol (Amst). 1996 Sep;93(1-3):187-206. doi: 10.1016/0001-6918(96)00019-4.
citation: Crocker J, Luhtanen RK, Cooper ML, Bouvrette A. Contingencies of self-worth in college students: theory and measurement. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2003 Nov;85(5):894-908. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.85.5.894.
citation: Gibbons FX, Buunk BP. Individual differences in social comparison: development of a scale of social comparison orientation. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1999 Jan;76(1):129-42. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.76.1.129.
citation: Mendelson BK, Mendelson MJ, White DR. Body-esteem scale for adolescents and adults. J Pers Assess. 2001 Feb;76(1):90-106. doi: 10.1207/S15327752JPA7601_6.
citation: Bjureberg J, Ljotsson B, Tull MT, Hedman E, Sahlin H, Lundh LG, Bjarehed J, DiLillo D, Messman-Moore T, Gumpert CH, Gratz KL. Development and Validation of a Brief Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: The DERS-16. J Psychopathol Behav Assess. 2016 Jun;38(2):284-296. doi: 10.1007/s10862-015-9514-x. Epub 2015 Sep 14.