JMIR research protocols
July 29, 2025
Nicholas Bowles, Alexander Burger, Jonathan N Davies et al.
A proposed randomized controlled trial will test whether longer daily mindfulness meditation sessions produce greater improvements in well-being. Healthy adults aged 18–65 will be assigned to 4-week online courses with 10, 20, or 30 minutes of daily practice, or a 4-minute control condition. The primary outcome is psychological well-being, measured at baseline, midintervention, postintervention, and one-month follow-up. The trial aims to enroll at least 688 participants; as of end of 2024, 70 eligible participants were enrolled. Results are expected by March 2026.
February 17, 2025
Nicholas Bowles, A. Bürger, Jonathan N. Davies et al.
A planned online mindfulness course for healthy adults aged 18–65 years will test whether longer daily meditation practice (10, 20, or 30 minutes) produces greater improvements in well-being and other psychological outcomes than a short control practice (4 minutes). The study aims to enroll at least 688 participants, but recruitment has been slow and affected by fraudulent entries; by the end of 2024 only 70 eligible participants had enrolled. The trial will measure well-being, distress, anxiety, depression, and other factors at several time points, with results expected by March 2026.
JMIR research protocols
July 17, 2026
Lillian Ofori Ward, Cate Bailey, Prai Wattanatakulchat et al.
A protocol for a prospective longitudinal cohort study will follow 600 beginner meditators in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom over one year to investigate whether regular meditation practice improves quality of life and mental well-being. The study will compare effects between secular and spiritual practitioners, assess cost-effectiveness in terms of quality of life, and track the incidence and functional impact of any adverse effects. Participants report practice frequency and duration weekly via an app, with monthly sampling of quality of life, well-being, practice characteristics, costs, and adverse effects. Data collection began in October 2025; results are expected in January 2028.