JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

Race-based anxiety is a serious health problem for Black Americans, but there are few evidence-based interventions to address this condition. While mindfulness interventions have demonstrated efficacy for alleviating anxiety in various studies, there are a number of barriers that often limit the Black community from accessing these treatments, including limited cultural relevance and excessive costs. There is a need for novel mindfulness interventions that can address such barriers.

Objective:

Objective:

To replicate and extend findings that “healing attempt” – a brief, digital music-based mindfulness intervention – may represent a feasible and effective intervention for race-based anxiety in the Black community.

Methods:

Methods:

We used a non-concurrent multiple-baseline design. Participants were N = 8 Black American adults aged 18 years and older with elevated race-based anxiety. We conducted all study visits on Zoom and assessed whether the intervention could reduce state anxiety and increase state mindfulness/self-compassion. We also used quantitative and qualitative scales to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.

Results:

Results:

In this study, the intervention decreased state anxiety (Tau-U Range: [-0.91, -0.56]; p-values < 0.001) and increase state mindfulness/self-compassion (Tau-U Range: [0.39, 0.79]; p-values < 0.05). The intervention received high feasibility scores across all metrics as well (i.e., the average likelihood of recommending “healing attempt”: 92 out of 100).

Conclusions:

Conclusion: “healing attempt” may represent a feasible intervention for race-based anxiety in the Black community. Additional studies are needed to test whether the intervention can elicit lasting improvements in race-based anxiety.