Nature-based guided meditation to support people grieving a loved one with cancer
Support for Bereaved Friend and Family Caregivers of Cancer Patients
This program will try short, easy nature-based guided meditations to help adults who lost a family member or friend to cancer cope with grief during the first six months after the death.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 70 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Michigan State University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (East Lansing, Michigan) |
| Trial ID | NCT06662409 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This pilot is a single-group, longitudinal 6-week program delivering six nature-based healing meditation (NBHM) audio modules via a study website to adults bereaved within the past six months after a loved one's death from cancer. The intervention pairs guided meditations with nature-focused imagery intended to support directed attention and emotional regulation. Outcomes include measures of directed attention, grief intensity, quality of life, and symptoms of depression and anxiety, along with acceptability and feasibility metrics such as enrollment, completion, and module use. The team will also conduct brief qualitative interviews to collect participant feedback on content and delivery.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults 18 or older who speak English, have phone access, normal hearing, are cognitively oriented, and are within six months of the death of a family member or friend from cancer are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with significant cognitive impairment, inability to hear normal conversation, those more than six months past the death, or those unwilling/unable to follow program instructions (including the required return demonstration) may not benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide bereaved caregivers an accessible, low-tech way to lessen intense grief and improve mood and quality of life.
How similar studies have performed: Some small studies support meditation and nature exposure for improving well-being, but a structured nature-based healing meditation program specifically for bereaved cancer caregivers is relatively novel and not yet proven in rigorous trials.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years old or older; Able and willing to provide reflexology * Able to speak and understand English * Have access to a telephone * Able to hear normal conversation * Cognitively oriented to time, place, and person (determined via recruiter) Exclusion Criteria: * Unwilling to perform return demonstration with 90% accuracy
Where this trial is running
East Lansing, Michigan
- Michigan State University College of Nursing — East Lansing, Michigan, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Rebecca H Lehto, PhD
- Email: lehtor@msu.edu
- Phone: (517) 353-4757
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.