An interventional study of Sahaja Yoga Meditation Program and Waitlist control group in Problematic Internet Use and Mental Wellbeing, sponsored by Tilburg University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 12 Years to 18 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-14.
Sponsored by Tilburg University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
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.
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.
Tilburg University is the lead sponsor of 27 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.
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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.
Participants received a 6-week online Sahaja Yoga meditation program consisting of four sessions per week.
Behavioral: Sahaja Yoga Meditation Program
Participants did not receive the intervention during the initial 6-week study period and completed outcome assessments only. After post-test assessment, they received the meditation program.
Other: Waitlist control group
A 6-week online Sahaja Yoga meditation program consisting of 24 guided meditation sessions delivered four times per week.
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.
Problematic internet use
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
Time frame: "From enrollment to the end of invention periode at 12 weeks"
Mental well-being
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.
Time frame: "From enrollment to the end of invention periode at 12 weeks"
Plan to share: Yes — Individual participant data (IPD) underlying the results reported in this study, after de-identification, will be available upon reasonable request to the principal investigator after publication of the main study results. Data will be shared for scientific research and educational purposes.
Supporting information: Study protocol
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Tilburg University