Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT04482647

Breathing Techniques and Meditation for Health Care Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic

This phase I trial investigates breathing techniques and meditation for health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic. Breathing techniques and medication may help manage stress and improve lung health. The goal of this trial is to learn if breathing techniques and meditation may help to reduce stress and improve lung health in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

COVID-19 Infection COVID-19 Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Infections Lung Diseases Nidovirales Infections Pneumonia Pneumonia, Viral RNA Virus Infections Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Infections Virus Diseases

Age range

Up to 70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

M D Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

About this study

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To demonstrate the feasibility of a short pranayama or breathing techniques and meditation during Covid-19 pandemic.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine the adherence to the practice assessed as at least 50% of participants implement the intervention for 3 or more times in a week by the end of week 1/day 7 (+ 3 days).

II. To determine the change in resilience, perceived stress and psychological impact from day 0 today 28 as measured by the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS4), and COVID-19 Stress among health care workers questionnaire.

III. To determine the changes in breath holding time measured weekly for 4 weeks.

IV. To determine the differences in breath holding time between those who are adherent and those who are not adherent to the practice.

OUTLINE:

Patients view an instructional video on breathing techniques and meditation. Patients then perform breathing techniques over 3 minutes and meditation over 2 minutes twice daily (BID) for 28 days.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants must be able to read and understand English
  • Must be employed at MD Anderson Cancer Center

Exclusion criteria

  • Epilepsy
  • Brain tumor
  • Brain aneurysm
  • Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
  • Brain bleeding in the past 1 year
  • Recent abdominal surgery and not cleared to exercise

Treatment and study plan

Media Intervention

Other

View instructional video

Meditation Therapy

Procedure

Perform meditation

Other names: Meditation

Quality-of-Life Assessment

Other

Ancillary studies

Other names: Quality of Life Assessment

Questionnaire Administration

Other

Ancillary studies

Yoga

Procedure

Perform breathing techniques

Other names: Yoga Therapy

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Participants Recruited to the Study (Feasibility)

    Time frame: Within 2 months

    To demonstrate the feasibility of a short pranayama or breathing techniques and meditation during Covid-19 pandemic. Feasibility will be defined as recruitment of 50 participants to the study within 2 months.

  2. Number of Participants Who Perceived the Intervention as Useful

    Time frame: Week 1 and Week 4

    Defined as more than 50% of participants perceive the intervention as useful. Meditation perception questions were asked such as usefulness, feeling at peace, hopeful, or relaxed, and responses were recorded as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree at weeks 1 and 4.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Resilience

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Measured by the Brief Resilient Coping Scale among health care workers questionnaire.

  2. Perceive Stress and Psychological Impact

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Measured by the Perceived Stress Scale and COVID-19 Stress among health care workers questionnaire.

  3. Breath Holding Time

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Will determine the differences in breath holding time between those who are adherent and those who are not adherent to the practice.

  4. Adherence to the Practice

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Will determine the adherence to the practice assessed as at least 50% of participants implement the intervention for 3 or more times in a week by the end of week 1/day 7 (+ 3 days).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Other

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Official study title

Breathing Techniques and Meditation for Health Care Workers During COVID-19

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jul 22, 2020
Registry last updated
Jun 30, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.