Healing Hearts: A Mindfulness App for Parents Navigating Divorce or Separation

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This pilot study tests the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a digital mindfulness app called Healing Hearts, followed by an online parenting program, for parents dealing with divorce or separation. Participants are randomized to one of three arms: Healing Hearts followed by the parenting program, the parenting program alone, or online educational resources. The trial uses remote enrollment and assessments to measure parent wellbeing, parenting behaviors, child behavior reports, program engagement, and user experience. Eligible adults must be in the U.S., English-speaking, have a child aged 6–18 with an ex-partner, and report mild to moderate distress; recruitment aims to understand recruitment/retention, usability, and potential between-group differences in self-regulation. Data will be analyzed using intention-to-treat principles with follow-ups approximately seven weeks apart.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18 years or older.
* Able to speak, read, and write in English; living in the United States.
* Has a mobile device, internet access on that device, and uses email.
* Identifies as a parent and has at least one child aged 6 to 18 years with an ex-partner. Parenting time with the target child exceeds 3 hours/week.
* Is going through a legal process to separate or divorce; or was married and divorced or legally separated within the past 3 years; or was never married to the ex-partner and has a qualifying separation marker within the past 3 years.
* For never-married parents, the listed markers are child custody, visitation, or formal parenting-plan proceedings or agreements; child-support proceedings or agreements; dissolution of a domestic partnership or civil union; or either partner moving out and maintaining separate households.
* Reports a Kessler 6 psychological distress score from 1 through 12, inclusive.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Low-speed internet.
* Current regular mind-body practices, such as meditation or yoga.
* The parent or target child is in psychotherapy or other clinical research.
* Kessler 6 score of 0 or 13 or higher.
* History of major psychiatric disorders.
* Current alcohol use problems.

Where it's running

• University of Connecticut
  Stamford, Connecticut, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Na Zhang, PhD
• Email: nazhang@uconn.edu
• Phone: 2035617045

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.