This study is testing a new brief mindfulness practice for people suffering from longCOVID-19 symptoms. People suffering from long COVID are particularly vulnerable tonegative emotions, as they must also cope with the long-term uncertainty of physical andpsychological stress beyond the acute infection. The goal of the study is to measure theability of a brief mindfulness practice to promote a sense of well-being in peoplesuffering from long COVID.
This is a pilot randomized waitlist-controlled clinical trial (RCT) testing a new brief
self-care intervention for people suffering from post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection
(PASC). The overarching goal of this study is to establish the feasibility and early
efficacy of microdosing mindfulness as a self-care intervention. The purpose of the
intervention is to promote a sense of well-being among PASC patients who currently have
limited access to other proven self-care modalities.
Our research question is whether our newly developed training can assist PASC patients to
self-microdose mindfulness (5-15 seconds activities in everyday life) and improve on
perceived metrics of well-being (primary outcome). Our hypothesis is that
self-microdosing mindfulness will evoke positive emotions that can improve well-being on
patients suffering of PASC-related symptoms beyond 3 months post COVID-19 infection. If
effective, an increased frequency of the mindfulness activity will then help buffer
negative emotions (e.g., anger, loneliness, etc.) experienced during the pandemic and
associated with ongoing stress and/or somatic symptoms.
Behavioral: Microdosing of mindfulness
The intervention consists of two parts: 1) four structured training sessions offered as
online synchronous classes, and 2) self-microdosing of mindfulness activities in everyday
life.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Able to participate in online zoom sessions and complete online surveys for 3 months
- English speakers
- Had a mild to moderate in severity COVID-19 infection > 3 months ago, feeling
unwell, and are still experiencing in the present at least one PASC-related
symptoms:
- Coughing or feeling short of breath
- Loss of smell or change in taste
- Recurrent Fever
- Body aches, headaches, chest pain, or stomach pain
- Brain fog (feeling like you can't think clearly)
- Having trouble sleeping
- Feeling very tired
- Mood changes
Exclusion Criteria:
- Adults that were admitted to an intensive care unit or placed on a respirator, had
invasive heart (heart catheterization) or lung tests (bronchoscopy) performed.
- Prisoners
University of California Davis
Sacramento, California, United States
Javier E Lopez, MD, Principal Investigator
University of California, Davis