Teen Meditation Program to Boost Joy, Focus, and Resilience
Official title: Transforming Adolescent Perception and Mental Health Through Meditation and Cognitive Reappraisal A Mixed Method Study
Run by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NCT07173608 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether a comprehensive meditation-and-cognitive-reframing program helps teens aged 15-18 feel more joyful, focused, and better at handling stress.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 15 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 96 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Boston, Massachusetts) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | February 2028 |
| Study ends | March 2028 |
| Registry record updated | July 21, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07173608 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are 15-18-year-olds residing in the United States who can commit to the program and travel to Boston for procedures, with no recent regular meditation practice and no major psychiatric history.
✕Probably not a fit
Teens who have not perceived benefit from similar practices, or who have significant psychiatric conditions or language barriers, may not experience notable benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Adolescence is a key time for mental health development, and this mixed-method randomized trial investigates the impact of the secular Inner Engineering program on psychological wellbeing, cognitive flexibility, and physiological balance in teens. Participants are 15-18 years old and will be randomized to the intervention or a meditation-naïve control group, with assessments at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. The study uses self-report measures, behavioral tasks, EEG, fMRI, wearables, and blood biomarkers to understand mental, neural, and bodily changes, along with qualitative interviews for lived experiences.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could offer a scalable approach to improving mood, resilience, and stress management in adolescents.
How similar studies have gone: A growing set of contemplative-program studies in youth shows promise, though this multidimensional, neuroimaging-inclusive trial is relatively novel in its scope.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals between15-18 years of age * Ability to understand study instructions and provide informed consent/assent. (parental consent for minors) * Access to internet and a device to complete online study activities * Currently residing in the United States * Willing and able to travel to the hospital location in Boston for study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: * Non-English speaking (Justification: the intervention and assessment instruments are not validated in a sufficient range of languages, and the research team lacks polylingual capabilities or the financial resources to hire interpreters for the duration of all proposed assessments.) * Practicing meditation regularly in the past 6 months (4 or more times per week for 4 weeks or more in the past 6 months) * History of psychiatric illness such as severe anxiety, severe depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder * Current use of cognition enhancing drugs * Current management for chronic pain * History (within past 5 years) of seizure, brain surgery or any condition causing cognitive decline. * Active history (within the last 5 years) of alcohol or drug abuse. * Current pregnancy or planning to become pregnant in the next 6 months * Currently enrolled in another interventional study that could impact the primary outcome, as determined by the PI * Significant visual impairment * Subject has previously learned the intervention. * Subject has contraindications for MRI (Detailed in the eligibility screening questions)
Where it's running
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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Sepideh Hariri, PhD — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Study coordinator: Sepideh Hariri, PhD
- Email: sadhgurucenter_research@bidmc.harvard.edu
- Phone: 617-278-8082
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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.