Effects of a Darkness Retreat
Effect of Darkness Retreat on Worry and Rumination in a Non-clinical Population: a Pilot Study
We will try a 3-day darkness retreat with university students aged 30–50 who have higher anxiety and worry, comparing two schedules of psychological check-ins to see if the retreat changes wellbeing and ruminative thinking.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 30 (estimated) |
| Ages | 30 Years to 50 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Poznan, Wielkopolska and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07429617 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This pilot enrolls 30 psychologically healthy university/postgraduate participants aged 30–50 with elevated trait anxiety and worry and randomizes them to one of two monitoring schedules during a 3-day, 3-night darkness retreat. One group receives one full psychological consultation per day (low-frequency monitoring) and the other receives one full consultation plus two brief check-ins per day (high-frequency monitoring). Outcomes on anxiety, worry, rumination, mindfulness, and meaning in life are measured before the retreat, immediately after, and at a 6-month follow-up. The primary goal is to test whether the protocol is feasible, implementable, and safe in real-world conditions while providing preliminary data on psychological effects.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are psychologically healthy university or postgraduate students aged 30–50 with higher trait anxiety and worry who are not in psychotherapy, not taking psychotropic medications, and in generally good physical health.
Not a fit: People with diagnosed psychiatric or neurological disorders, active suicidal intent, those currently in psychotherapy or taking psychotropic medication, pregnant individuals, or those with significant medical conditions are excluded and should not expect benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the protocol could point to a non-pharmacological, short-term intervention that may reduce rumination and improve wellbeing for people with elevated anxiety and worry.
How similar studies have performed: This approach is relatively novel and only supported by limited prior evidence from small sensory-deprivation and single-case darkness-retreat reports that suggest short-term reductions in anxiety and rumination, but controlled data are scarce.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Participants will be recruited from university/postgraduate students through a two-stage process. Stage I. Individuals expressing interest in participation will be asked to confirm that they are not currently engaged in psychotherapy or coaching, are not taking psychotropic medication, and are in generally good physical health. The following individuals will be excluded from the study: those diagnosed with an acute or chronic somatic illness (e.g., cardiovascular disease); psychiatric or neurological disorders (e.g., depression, addiction, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, epilepsy, stroke, severe brain injury, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia); those exhibiting active suicidal tendencies with a plan or intent; those taking psychotropic medication; engaged in psychotherapy or coaching; and pregnant individuals. Preliminary verification of these criteria will be carried out using a screening questionnaire containing demographic questions and items regarding psychotherapy/coaching, use of psychoactive medication, somatic health, suicidal tendencies, pregnancy, and confirmation of a history of diagnoses in the categories of psychotic disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorders, bipolar disorder, along with the following questionnaires: PSWQ: Inclusion criteria based on the PSWQ (Penn State Worry Questionnaire, range 16-80, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Participants must obtain a total score between 40 and 80. (40-59 = moderate level of worry/anxiety) (60-80 = high level of worry/anxiety) In cases where participants fall within the high range, if clinical levels of worry are identified during the clinical interview, they will be excluded from participation. PAtient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, range 0-27, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Individuals scoring above 10 will be considered at elevated risk for depression, and those scoring 20 or higher will not be invited to the clinical interview. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7, range 0-21, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Individuals scoring 7 or higher will be classified as having elevated generalized anxiety symptoms, and those scoring 15 or higher will be excluded from further participation. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT, range 0-40, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Individuals scoring above 8 will be considered at elevated risk for problematic drinking, and those scoring 22 or higher will not be invited to the clinical interview. Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT, range 0-44, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Individuals scoring above 4 will be classified as at elevated risk for substance use, and those scoring 7 or higher will be excluded. The questionnaire will also include the following measures, which will not be used for automatic exclusion but will indicate the need for further evaluation during the clinical interview if the following thresholds are met: DSM-5 - Panic Disorder (range 0-40, higher scores indicating worse functioning): score ≥ 26 DSM-5 - Social Anxiety Disorder (range 0-40, higher scores indicating worse functioning): score ≥ 26 DSM-5 - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (range 0-44, higher scores indicating worse functioning): score \> 22 Only individuals who are not excluded based on the above criteria will be invited to the next stage. Stage II. Candidates meeting the preliminary criteria will be invited to an online clinical interview with a psychologist. Approximately one week before the scheduled interview, participants will receive via email a link to the Personality Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ; Zawadzki et al., 2017), that would help in a more in-depth assessment of psychological functioning during the actual meeting. In order to exclude clinical cases, the psychologist will use the structured clinical interview M.I.N.I. (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) Participants who complete the psychological interview-regardless of their final qualification for the study-will receive a compensation of approximately 200 ZŁ in shopping vouchers (50EUR).
Where this trial is running
Poznan, Wielkopolska and 1 other locations
- Poznań Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland — Poznan, Wielkopolska, Poland (Recruiting)
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities — Poznan, Poland (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jarosław M Michałowski, Professor
- Email: jmichalowski@swps.edu.pl
- Phone: +48 694 441 722
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.