The Role of Anchoring and Distraction in the Effectiveness of Mindfulness on Reducing Emotional Reactivity

July 20, 2025 updated by: Professor Lam Shui-fong, The University of Hong Kong
The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L) on the use of anchoring and distraction as emotion care/regulation strategies. It is hypothesized that anchoring and distraction are related but different processes, which could be evidenced by fMRI. The investigators further hypothesized that mindfulness training could lead to functional changes in the brain, which could also be evidenced by fMRI.

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

To test the hypotheses, the participants will be randomly allocated to either the experimental group or the waitlist control group. Both groups will complete behavioral measures and an fMRI experiment before the experimental group's intervention (T0). The experimental group will receive Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L) between T0 and T1, while the waitlist control will receive no treatment during this period. Both groups will complete the behavioral measures and the fMRI experiment again after the experimental group finishes the MBCT-L course (T1).

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.
42

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

  • Hong Kong
      • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
        • Jockey Club "Peace and Awareness" Mindfulness Culture in Schools Initiative, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Right-handed
  • Currently registered in post-graduated program with professional counselling training

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of neurological or other disorders affecting the brain (such as encephalitis, epilepsy, birth defects, or polio)
  • Have experienced a concussion, head or brain trauma, seizures, loss of consciousness
  • Have been injured in the eye by a metallic foreign body.
  • Have been injured by metallic foreign body (e.g. bullet, shrapnel)
  • History of sickle cell anemia/kidney disease/diabetes, asthma, or allergies
  • Long-term use of medication is required
  • Currently pregnant or breast feeding.

  • Had the following conditions or implants in their body:

    • Surgical clips
    • Cardiac pacemaker
    • Neurostimulator/internal electrodes
    • Insulin pump
    • Internal shunt
    • Metal screen / suture
    • Cochlear implants
    • Hearing aid
    • Eye implants/eyelid springs
    • Orthopaedic devices (e.g. pins, nails, screws)
    • Prosthetic heart valve
    • Breast tissue expander
    • Tattoo or permanent eye-lining
    • Body ring
    • Patch/Blood Glucose Monitor
    • Dentures
    • Intrauterine contraceptive device
    • Metal blockage in the blood vessel/metal foreign body in the body

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: Treatment
  • 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.
Experimental: intervention group
Participants will receive an 8-week mindfulness-based group intervention, namely Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L).
Behavioral: Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Life (MBCT-L)
MBCT-L is an 8-week group intervention where participants are guided to practice mindfulness and cognitive exercise. The course covers themes such as anchoring, acceptance, and decentering. The course will be provided by mindfulness teachers who have completed the training offered by Oxford Mindfulness Foundation (OMF). Throughout the eight weeks, the course guides the participants through various themes such as anchoring, acceptance, and decentering. The sessions involve guided mindfulness practices, reflection, discussion, inquiry, and weekly home practice. The language of instruction is Cantonese.
No Intervention: waitlist controlled group
Participants in the wait-list control group will receive the same intervention, two months after the experimental group completed the intervention.

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
Brain activation during the emotion care/regulation task
Time Frame: Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline)
BOLD signal contrast when the participants performing an emotion counting Stroop task.
Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline)
Reaction time during the emotion care/regulation task
Time Frame: Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline)
Reaction time of the correct response in the emotion counting Stroop task.
Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline)
Accuracy during the emotion care/regulation task
Time Frame: Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline)
Accuracy of the emotion counting Stroop task.
Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline)
Mindfulness
Time Frame: Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline), Follow-up (22-24 weeks after baseline)
The mean score of Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R, Feldman, Hayes, Kumar, Greeson, & Laurenceau, 2007) is a self-report 5-point Likert scale measuring individual differences in mindfulness that includes 12 items. The mean score ranged from 1 to 5. A higher score means a higher level of mindfulness, i.e. an expected outcome from an effective mindfulness intervention.
Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline), Follow-up (22-24 weeks after baseline)
Psychological well-being
Time Frame: Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline), Follow-up (22-24 weeks after baseline)
The mean score of Psychological Well-being Scale (PWBS; Ryff et al., 1995) includes 18 items measuring 6 aspects of wellbeing and happiness: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Participants used a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = highly disagree to 5 = highly agree, to rate the 18 statements. The mean score ranged from 1 to 5. A higher score means a higher level of psychological well-being, i.e. an expected outcome from an effective mindfulness intervention.
Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline), Follow-up (22-24 weeks after baseline)
Use of distraction as a emotion care/regulation strategy
Time Frame: Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline), Follow-up (22-24 weeks after baseline)
The mean scores of five items of the self-developed scale to assess the use of distraction and its connection to attentional deployment with a pilot test. Participants used a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = never to 5 = always, to rate the five statements. The mean score ranged from 1 to 5. A higher score indicates a greater tendency to employ distraction as an emotion regulation strategy. It's important to note that the score only reflects the habitual usage of this strategy and does not imply a better or worse outcome.
Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline), Follow-up (22-24 weeks after baseline)
Use of anchoring as a emotion care/regulation strategy
Time Frame: Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline), Follow-up (22-24 weeks after baseline)
The mean score of five items of the self-developed scale to assess the use of anchoring with a pilot test. Participants used a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = never to 5 = always, to rate the five statements. The mean score ranged from 1 to 5. A higher score indicates a greater tendency to employ distraction as an emotion regulation strategy. It's important to note that the score only reflects the habitual usage of this strategy and does not imply a better or worse outcome.
Baseline (2 weeks before the intervention), Post-intervention (14-16 weeks after baseline), Follow-up (22-24 weeks after baseline)

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.
The University of Hong Kong

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.
  • Study Director: Shui-fong Lam, PhD, The University of Hong Kong
  • Principal Investigator: Gloria HY Wong, The University of Hong Kong

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.
September 1, 2023

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.
January 21, 2025

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.
February 13, 2025

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).
November 26, 2023

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.
March 9, 2025

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.
March 14, 2025

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.
July 24, 2025

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.
July 20, 2025

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.
July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • UHongKong(JC PandA_fMRI)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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