Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07587372

Reducing Problematic Internet Use and Improving Well-Being in Adolescents Through Online Yoga Meditation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of an online Sahaja Yoga meditation program on problematic internet use, mental well-being, self-esteem, and psychological distress among adolescents and youth in the United States. Participants aged 12-18 years were randomly assigned to either a six-week online meditation intervention or a waitlist control group. The meditation sessions were delivered online by experienced adolescent practitioners of Sahaja Yoga meditation under adult supervision.

All participants completed standardized self-report questionnaires before and after the intervention period. The study examined whether participation in the meditation program was associated with improvements in mental well-being and self-esteem, as well as reductions in problematic internet use and psychological distress. A follow-up assessment was also conducted for participants in the intervention group.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Problematic Internet Use Mental Wellbeing

Age range

12 year–18 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Sahaja Yoga Meditation Virginia

Chantilly, Virginia, 20151, United States

About this study

Adolescents today experience increasing levels of stress, anxiety, social pressure, and excessive internet and social media use, which may negatively affect emotional well-being and daily functioning. Meditation-based interventions were considered a potentially accessible, low-cost, and non-pharmacological approach to supporting adolescent mental health and emotional resilience. The findings of this study were expected to contribute to the development of school- and community-based mental health promotion programs for young people.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

i) school going; ii) able to commit to meditation four times a week during a period of six consecutive weeks.

Exclusion criteria

i) currently in treatment for several psychological problems, including trauma and addiction problems ii) already meditating on a regular basis.

Treatment and study plan

Sahaja Yoga Meditation Program

Behavioral

A 6-week online Sahaja Yoga meditation program consisting of 24 guided meditation sessions delivered four times per week.

Waitlist control group

Other

Participants served as a waitlist control group during the initial 6-week study period and received the intervention after completion of the post-test assessment.

Primary outcomes

  1. Problematic internet use

    Time frame: "From enrollment to the end of invention periode at 12 weeks"

    Problematic internet use was measured using the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS-2), a 15-item self-report questionnaire designed to assess problematic internet use (Caplan, 2010). The scale measures the subdimensions: 1) preference for online social interaction; 2) mood regulation, 3) cognitive preoccupation; 4) compulsive internet use; 5) negative outcomes, each with three items. Each item is rated on an 8-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (definitely disagree) to 8 (definitely agree), with higher scores indicating greater levels of problematic internet u

Secondary outcomes

  1. Mental well-being

    Time frame: "From enrollment to the end of invention periode at 12 weeks"

    Mental well-being was measured by the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), a 14-item questionnaire that measures emotional well-being (three items), social well-being (five items), and psychological well-being (six items) (Lamers, 2015). Participants were asked to indicate their level of well-being over the past four weeks. Each item was rated on a scale from 0 (never) to 5 (every day), with a higher score indicating a higher level of well-being. Cronbach's alpha indicated excellent internal consistency of the scale at both measurement occasions, with α = .91 at pretest and α = .90 at post-test.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Tilburg University

Other

Collaborators

  • OP Jindal Global University

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
May 14, 2026
Registry last updated
May 14, 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.