Mindful Minds: Mindfulness-Based Neurofeedback for Underrepresented College Students

Florida International University39 enrolled

Overview

The study examines the efficacy of a mindfulness-based neurofeedback protocol designed to improve academic performance and reduce performance anxiety in racial and ethnic minority college students. Using NeuroSky and BrainTrain technology, the intervention incorporates mindfulness principles to enhance participants' self-regulation skills. Continuous heart rate variability (HRV) data is collected to assess stress levels, sleep, and exercise. The research aims to explore the acceptability and feasibility of this approach, with the goal of addressing academic performance and anxiety in this population.

The United States has witnessed a notable increase in the enrollment of racial and ethnic minority students (i.e., "The minority racial and ethnic groups defined by Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. The ethnicity used is Latino or Hispanic"). With the rise in college enrollment has also come concerns about the challenges racial and ethnic minority students are facing, such as "experiencing microaggressions, discrimination, imposter syndrome, and negative campus climate," which have been found to contribute to mental health problems for minority college students. Those who identify as more than one race had the highest rate of anxiety (39.8%), followed by American Indian/Alaskan Native (39.1%), Arab/Arab American (35.2%) and Latino (35.2%).6 However, the majority of research about college students' mental health status and treatment is focused on the general college student population, with extensive studies having only small subsets of racial and ethnic minority student representation. Given the ubiquity of mental health challenges in college students, the development of an easily utilized, readily available, inexpensive, with minimal side-effects intervention is needed. Neurofeedback and mindfulness have both been found to show significant improvements in performance enhancement, anxiety reduction, and improved focus/awareness. Through continuous neurofeedback interventions, individuals tend to improve interoceptive awareness and develop mechanisms to facilitate emotional control. Mindfulness meditation can help individuals gain control of their attention, which may, in turn, help to facilitate control of thoughts and emotions. Currently, there is little research on the benefits of neurofeedback using mindfulness-based interventions to improve academic performance in students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. This research program responds to the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance academic success and improve mental health among racial and ethnic minority students in higher education. Using a randomized control trial, 36 participants will be randomly assigned to either the 4-week mindfulness-based neurofeedback intervention or business as usual. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the experimental group will significantly improve test performance and reduce academic anxiety compared to the control group. Focused on examining the acceptability and feasibility of a mindfulness-based neurofeedback intervention, the study aims to address performance anxiety and improve test performance as well as mental health by providing real-time feedback and objective analysis to overcome the limitations of traditional stress management programs. The research also aims to offer a more accessible and practical approach, contributing valuable insights to promote equitable outcomes for underrepresented students.

Interventions

NeuroSky Mindfulness-Based NeurofeedbackDEVICE

NeuroSky will monitor participants' brain response to the intervention and provide feedback based on the participants' performance. Neurofeedback Intervention: When practicing the mindfulness-based intervention, NeuroSky will provide instructions before beginning the sessions. Dr. Saul will assist with set up and answer any questions. The apps audio and visual feedback will assist the participants as they practice mindfulness meditation. Participants in the experimental group will practice for 10 minutes in the lab during Sessions 1 and 5 and then at home for 10-20 minutes daily for 4 weeks with weekly 10-minute virtual check-ins with Dr. Saul to ensure acceptability and feasibility. Dr. Saul will also monitor participants' progress using the secure participant portal and de-identified usernames available through NeuroSky.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 30 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged between 18 and 30 years old * Currently enrolled in a 4-year university * Individuals from an ethnic or racial minority background (i.e., "The minority racial and ethnic groups defined by Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. The ethnicity used is Latino or Hispanic.") Exclusion Criteria: * Severe depression (cut off score of 15 or higher on Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9)) * Previously receiving biofeedback training. * Severe medical condition (e.g., pacemaker, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, diabetes). * Showing symptoms of psychosis * Having a neurological condition (e.g., Parkinson's disease) that would complicate the interpretation of physiological data. * Taking medications such as SSRIs, alpha/beta-blockers, or withdrawal or maintenance medications (e.g., Librium, methadone) * Using substances such as tobacco and illicit drugs, and 8)alcohol consumption as defined by National Institute of Health (NIH) as "more than 2 drinks (1 drink for women) in a day or drinking more than 5 drinks (4 for women) on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past month" are excluded due to their potential to affect the data.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Total Correct Responses on the Verbal Mental Arithmetic Task - Final Session

Trier Social Stress Test will be utilized to induce performance anxiety through a mock job interview and mental arithmetic task conducted in front of a non-responsive committee at baseline and the final session (after 4 weeks). This test uses a standardized protocol that not only facilitates a more robust evaluation of our intervention but also elevates the ecological validity of the study by assessing its effects in a real-life scenario. The social stress test not only facilitates a more robust evaluation of our intervention but also elevates the ecological validity of the study by assessing its effects in a real-life scenario.

Time frame: Final session at 4 weeks

Academic Anxiety at Final Session

The Academic Anxiety Scale (AAS) will be used to examine performance anxiety at baseline and final session (after 4 weeks). This 11-item questionnaire uses a 4-point Likert Scale (1 = not at all typical of me to 4 = very typical of me) and measures broader aspects of academic-based anxiety beyond cognitive factors. The AAS includes items designed to assess apprehension and anxiety in academic settings, with high reliability (split-half Guttman reliability of 0.91 and Cronbach's Alpha of 0.94).

Time frame: Final session at 4 weeks

Number of Participants Reporting Weekly Experience Themes During the Intervention

Semi-structured interviews will be conducted during the weekly check-ins to further our understanding of the intervention's acceptability utilizing qualitative techniques such as thematic analysis.