Mindfulness to Enhance Quality of Life and Support Advance Care Planning (MEANING)

August 10, 2020 updated by: Shelley Johns, Indiana University

Mindfulness to Enhance Quality of Life and Support Advance Care Planning (MEANING): A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial for Adults With Metastatic Cancer and Their Family Caregivers

The MEANING trial is a randomized controlled mixed methods pilot designed to compare a novel mindfulness meditation-based intervention (MEANING) to usual care for adults with advanced-stage solid malignancies and their family caregivers.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Mindfulness meditation practices have reduced emotional distress, avoidant coping, and improved spiritual well-being in adult cancer patients. These beneficial effects may occur through present-moment acceptance of unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and circumstances and adaptive coping through self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence. Most mindfulness trials in cancer have focused on early-stage survivors; however, preliminary evidence suggests that mindfulness may help reduce distress in patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers (FCGs).

Sixty patients with an advanced-stage solid malignancy and their FCGs (60 dyads) will be randomized in equal numbers to receive either the 6-week mindfulness intervention or usual care. Both groups will receive standard cancer care throughout the study period. Dyads randomized to the mindfulness arm will learn mindfulness meditation practices (e.g., body scan, sitting meditation) and mindful communication practices to enhance quality of life, support advance care planning engagement, and improve a variety of secondary outcomes.

The study will use a mixed methods 2-arm randomized design to examine the effects of the mindfulness intervention compared to usual care and seek to explain trial results using insights gleaned from post-intervention qualitative interviews.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
108

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
        • Indiana University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria-Patients

  • Patient is at least 18 years of age.
  • Patient is at least 3 weeks post-diagnosis of an incurable (locally advanced or metastatic) solid malignancy.
  • Patient's attending medical oncologist would not be surprised if the patient died in the next 12 months.
  • Patient has not completed a POST form.
  • Patient scores ≥ 7 on the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer cognitive avoidance subscale.
  • Patient is willing and able to consent and travel to the class location for 6 weekly 2-hour sessions.
  • Patient has a family member or close friend eligible and interested in participating in the study.
  • Patient has adequate English fluency for completion of data collection

Inclusion Criteria-Family Care Givers (FCG)

  • FCG is at least 18 years of age.
  • FCG has been invited to participate in the trial with a patient who meets eligibility criteria above.
  • FCG is willing and able to consent and travel to the class location for 6 weekly 2-hour sessions.
  • FCG has adequate English fluency for completion of data collection

Exclusion Criteria-Patients

  • Patient reports a score of > 2 on the Activities and Function item from the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment91 (PG-SGA; the patient-reported version of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score).
  • Patient makes 3 or more errors on a validated 6-item cognitive screener or exhibits significant psychiatric or cognitive impairment (e.g., dementia/delirium, retardation, active psychosis) that in the judgment of the investigators would preclude providing informed consent and study participation.
  • Currently receiving hospice care (patients who enroll in hospice during the trial will have the option of continuing trial participation).

Exclusion Criteria-FCGs

• FCG exhibits significant psychiatric or cognitive impairment (e.g., dementia/delirium, retardation, active psychosis) that in the judgment of the investigators would preclude providing informed consent and study participation.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Usual Care
Participants assigned to Usual Care will continue to receive standard care from their oncology team, including access to supportive care from oncology social workers. At the end of the study, usual care dyads will receive a packet of informational materials on mindfulness meditation, receive a CD with 5 mindfulness meditation practices, and meet with the study interventionist for guidance on how to use the materials and mindfulness recordings to their advantage in coping with cancer-related challenges.
Active Comparator: Mindfulness
The Mindfulness intervention will consist of six 2-hour sessions that will include guided mindfulness practices, didactics, and group discussion. The course curriculum is modeled on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program which involves intensive experiential training of participants in secular mindfulness meditation practices (i.e., body scan, sitting meditation, gentle hatha yoga with chair adaptations, compassion meditation), with an emphasis on embodying interpersonal mindfulness in dialogue.
Behavioral: Mindfulness
The Mindfulness intervention sessions are designed to cultivate present-moment awareness in everyday life to facilitate adaptive and non-reactive relating to thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Participants will be provided with 10-20 minute audio recordings of each of 5 mindfulness practices covered in class, recorded in the facilitator's voice. Participants will be encouraged to practice mindfulness at home 10-20 minutes per day, 6 days per week. Participants will be provided with weekly diaries on which to record type and amount of home practice of mindfulness skills.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from baseline in quality of life (QoL) for Patients
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
QoL for patients will be assessed with the McGill Quality of Life Inventory.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in quality of life (QoL) for Family Caregivers
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
QoL for family caregivers will be assessed with the Caregiver Quality of Life - Cancer scale (CQoLC).
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from baseline in advance care planning (ACP) stage of change
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
ACP stage of change will be assessed by a measure modified from Fried et. al assessing stage of change for 3 advance care planning behaviors (completing a living will, medical power of attorney form, or POLST form; patient only measure).
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in advance care planning (ACP) engagement
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
ACP engagement (self-efficacy, readiness) will be measured using 2 subscales of the Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey (patient only measure).
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in caregiver burden
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Caregiver burden will be measured using the Zarit Burden Interview (family caregiver measure only)
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in avoidant coping
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Avoidant coping will be assessed using the Mini-MAC Cognitive Avoidance subscale
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in avoidant coping
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Avoidant coping will be assessed using the Brief COPE Self-Distraction, Denial, and Behavioral Disengagement subscales
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in depressive symptoms
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Depressive symptoms will be assessed using the PHQ-8
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in anxiety
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Anxiety will be assessed using the GAD-7
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in spiritual well-being
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Spiritual well-being will be measured using the FACIT-SP.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in sleep disturbance
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Sleep disturbance will be assessed using the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in family communication
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Family communication will be assessed using the Social Constraint Scale
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in interpersonal closeness
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Interpersonal closeness will be assessed using the Perceived Interpersonal Closeness Scale.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in acceptance of illness
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Acceptance of illness will be assessed using the PEACE Scale.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Change from baseline in mindfulness
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Mindfulness will be assessed using the FFMQ-SF Non-reactivity to Internal Experience and Acting with Awareness subscales.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Distress Thermometer
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Distress will be assessed using the Distress Thermometer.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks
Intervention satisfaction and helpfulness
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Satisfaction and helpfulness with the Mindfulness intervention will be assessed using single-item investigator-created 7- and 10-point Likert scales, respectively (Mindfulness group only).
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Indiana University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Shelley A Johns, PsyD, Indiana University School of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 9, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 11, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 11, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 16, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 17, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 22, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 12, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 10, 2020

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 1702223546

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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