MB-Spirit program to improve psychological and spiritual well-being in stressed adults.
Official title: Assessing MB-Spirit: A Novel Intervention for Promoting Spiritual Development and Psychological Well-being
Run by Massachusetts General Hospital · NCT07325448 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will test whether an 8-week online MB-Spirit course helps adults with high stress improve spiritual well-being and psychological health and whether their brain scans change after the course.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 50 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 44 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Massachusetts General Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Boston, Massachusetts and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 15, 2026 |
| Main results expected | November 2026 |
| Study ends | November 2026 |
| Registry record updated | June 11, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07325448 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are English-speaking adults with high stress who can attend eight weekly two-hour online sessions, travel to Boston for MRI scans, and who do not use psychotropic medications or have excluded medical or psychiatric conditions.
✕Probably not a fit
People with current psychotropic medication use, a history of psychosis or suicidality, significant neurological conditions, pregnancy, claustrophobia, MRI contraindications, left-handedness, or inability to travel to Boston are not eligible and are unlikely to benefit from this program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Forty-four adults with high stress will be randomized 1:1, stratified by sex, to take an 8-week MB-Spirit course immediately or to a wait-list control. The course meets online for two hours each week and participants will complete questionnaires and a structured interview before and after the intervention while logging daily meditation practice in REDCap. Participants in the MB-Spirit arm will have pre- and post-intervention MRI scans including a high-resolution structural scan, resting-state fMRI, and guided meditation fMRI runs with in-scanner ratings of spiritual depth. Primary outcome is change in spiritual well-being, with secondary outcomes of mindfulness and character/virtue strengths and exploratory analyses of clinical symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, MB-Spirit could help stressed adults increase spiritual well-being, mindfulness, and related psychological functioning.
How similar studies have gone: Prior mindfulness-based programs have shown improvements in well-being and brain function, but MB-Spirit's explicit spiritual emphasis and its guided-meditation fMRI protocol are a novel combination.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Understands English * Able to attend all 8 classes * Able to travel to Boston for MRI scans Exclusion Criteria: * claustrophobia, pregnancy, head trauma, metallic implants or devices contraindicating MRI, left-handed, conditions that alter cerebral blood flow or metabolism (e.g. stroke), current use of psychotropic medications, lifetime history of suicidality, homicidally, self-destructive acts, schizophrenia or psychosis.
Where it's running
-
149 13th St
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting -
Charlestown Navy Yard Campus
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Sara Lazar, PhD — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Study Staff
- Email: slazar@mgh.harvard.edu
- Phone: 617-415-8813
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.