Mindfulness plus internal-sensation training (ITEM) for anxiety sensitivity
Official title: Interoceptive Training Enhanced Mindfulness (ITEM): Acceptability and Measurement
Funded at Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego · NIH-11302677 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new program that combines mindfulness with controlled practice of noticing internal body sensations to help Veterans who fear anxiety-related physical symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | April 5, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $215,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R34AT012499-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11302677 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adult Veterans with high anxiety sensitivity or strong fear of arousal-related bodily symptoms, including those with anxiety, trauma-related, or somatic symptom concerns.
✕Less likely to help
People without elevated anxiety sensitivity or those with conditions that make exposure to bodily sensations unsafe (e.g., unstable cardiac disease) may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
You would learn mindfulness skills together with guided practice of feeling and tolerating uncomfortable internal sensations (like a racing heart or breathlessness). First, a small group of 12 Veterans will try the program and give feedback so the team can improve it. After refinement, 48 Veterans will be randomly assigned to get either the ITEM program or standard interoceptive exposure across six one-on-one sessions. The project also develops a set of ways to measure how people respond, including questionnaires and other tests.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could make exposure-based treatments easier to tolerate and reduce fear of bodily symptoms that drive anxiety and related problems.
How similar studies have gone: Traditional interoceptive exposure and mindfulness each show benefit for anxiety, but combining them in this hybrid approach is new and relatively untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lang, Ariel J — Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego
- Study coordinator: Lang, Ariel J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Mindfulness and Self-Hypnosis for Pain in Older Adults
This grant tests non-drug ways like mindfulness and self-hypnosis to help people over 60 manage chronic pain.
-
Mindfulness-based Support for Pain and Sleep in Young People with Sickle Cell Disease
A digital mindfulness program is being tailored for adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease to help with pain and sleep and is being tested for practicality and early effectiveness.
-
Mindfulness training to lower cardiovascular risk for moms and babies during pregnancy
A mindfulness program is being tested during pregnancy to help prevent high blood pressure and heart problems for mothers and their babies.
-
Mindfulness-enhanced brain stimulation for depression
This project tests whether combining a breath-focused attention training with targeted brain stimulation helps people with treatment-resistant depression think more clearly and feel better.
-
Optimizing Opioid Tapering with Mindfulness for Chronic Pain
A patient-friendly program tests a mindfulness-based approach to help adults with chronic pain reduce long-term opioid use safely.
-
Prenatal mindfulness and inflammatory pathways to support mom and baby health
A study from Oregon Health & Science University will explore how mindfulness during pregnancy might influence inflammatory signals and improve emotional well-being for mothers and healthy development for their children.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.