None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Almost one in three women worldwide will be exposed to domestic and family violence at some time in their life. Such violence can contribute to physical, social, economic and psychological harm. This pilot randomised controlled trial will compare the effectiveness of two different approaches to improving stress, mood and quality of life in women affected by domestic violence. Women assigned to the first group will complete training in Transcendental Meditation® (TM; an effortless relaxation technique), which will be delivered by qualified and experienced instructors of TM. Women in the second group will participate in weekly group support sessions facilitated by a qualified social worker. During the eight-week intervention/control period, and eight-week follow-up period, participants will complete a series of questionnaires asking about their quality of life, and their perceived levels of stress, anxiety and depression. The study will be conducted in the Southern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia; however, if the findings show promise, they will help inform the development of related, larger-scale projects not only in South Australia, but nationwide.
Interventions
Transcendental Meditation® (TM) is a simple, effortless, mantra-based relaxation technique, which is practiced 20 minutes twice daily. Participants assigned to the intervention group will complete 12 hours (9 face-to-face sessions) of standardised training in the TM technique over an 8-week period, with a follow-up session held 2 months after completion of the training (week 16). Training will be delivered using a combination of one-on-one and group-based sessions, and will comprise of a 2-hour
Transcendental Meditation® (TM) is a simple, effortless, mantra-based relaxation technique, which is practiced 20 minutes twice daily. Participants assigned to the intervention group will complete 12 hours (9 face-to-face sessions) of standardised training in the TM technique over an 8-week period, with a follow-up session held 2 months after completion of the training (week 16). Training will be delivered using a combination of one-on-one and group-based sessions, and will comprise of a 2-hour introductory TM session (one-on-one; week 1) and four x 1.5-hour sessions (group-based; week 2) to learn TM, and three x 1-hour sessions (2 x one-on-one and 1 x group-based; weeks 2, 4 and 8) to refine the technique. The 1-hour follow-up session (group-based; week 16) will serve to evaluate and refine the technique, and problem-solve any issues relating to TM. The training will be delivered by qualified and experienced instructors of the Transcendental Meditation® technique. Participants also will be required to practice TM (2 x 20 minutes daily) over the 8-week intervention period. Fidelity to the intervention will be monitored using self-administered daily meditation records, and instructor-administered training attendance/participation records.
Sponsors
A/Prof Matthew Leach
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
(a) aged >18 years, (b) female, (c) experienced domestic violence (i.e. emotional, psychological, physical, verbal, social, financial or sexual abuse within the home environment) in their lifetime, (d) live in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, (e) able to commit to the intervention/control schedule, (f) able to speak, read and understand English, and (g) capable of providing informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
(a) in a current violent domestic relationship, (b) completed training in the Transcendental Meditation® technique, or (c) has a serious psychiatric condition such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
Outcome results
None listed