Brief mindfulness-based intervention of 'STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed) touching your face': a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

Yanhui Liao; Ling Wang; Tao Luo; Shiyou Wu; Zhenzhen Wu; Jianhua Chen; Chen Pan; Yunfei Wang; Yueheng Liu; Qinghua Luo; Xin Guo; Liqin Xie; Jun Zhou; Wei Chen; Jinsong Tang

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041364

Brief mindfulness-based intervention of 'STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed) touching your face': a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open. 2020 Nov 24;10(11):e041364. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041364.

Authors

Yanhui Liao^{1

2

3}, Ling Wang⁴, Tao Luo^{5

6}, Shiyou Wu⁷, Zhenzhen Wu^{8

9}, Jianhua Chen¹⁰, Chen Pan¹¹, Yunfei Wang^{8

9}, Yueheng Liu^{8

9}, Qinghua Luo¹², Xin Guo¹³, Liqin Xie¹⁴, Jun Zhou¹⁵, Wei Chen^{16

2}, Jinsong Tang^{16

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China [email protected].
² Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
³ Addictions Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
⁴ Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, King's College London, London, UK.
⁵ Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
⁶ The Treatment Center for Addiction, Jiangxi Mental Hospital, Nanchang, China.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Qiannan, China.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
⁹ National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, China.
¹⁰ Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Mental Health, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
¹¹ Department of Clinical Psychology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
¹² Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
¹³ Psychiatry Department, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
¹⁴ Department of Educational Affairs, Changsha Social Work College, Changsha, China.
¹⁵ Nursing Department, School of Medicine, Changsha Social Work College, Changsha, China.
¹⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Face-touching behaviour often happens frequently and automatically, and poses potential risk for spreading infectious disease. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown its efficacy in the treatment of behaviour disorders. This study aims to evaluate an online mindfulness-based brief intervention skill named 'STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed) touching your face' in reducing face-touching behaviour.

Methods and analysis: This will be an online-based, randomised, controlled, trial. We will recruit 1000 participants, and will randomise and allocate participants 1:1 to the 'STOP touching your face' (both 750-word text and 5 min audio description by online) intervention group (n=500) and the wait-list control group (n=500). All participants will be asked to monitor and record their face-touching behaviour during a 60 min period before and after the intervention. Primary outcome will be the efficacy of short-term mindfulness-based 'STOP touching your face' intervention for reducing the frequency of face-touching. The secondary outcomes will be percentage of participants touching their faces; the correlation between the psychological traits of mindfulness and face-touching behaviour; and the differences of face-touching behaviour between left-handers and right-handers. Analysis of covariance, regression analysis, χ² test, t-test, Pearson's correlations will be applied in data analysis. We will recruit 1000 participants from April to July 2020 or until the recruitment process is complete. The follow-up will be completed in July 2020. We expect all trial results to be available by the end of July 2020.

Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, an affiliate of Zhejiang University, Medical College (No. 20200401-32). Study results will be disseminated via social media and peer-reviewed publications.

Trial registration number: NCT04330352.

Keywords: education & training (see medical education & training); health & safety; mental health; public health.

Publication types

Clinical Trial Protocol
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Crisis Intervention
Humans
Mindfulness*
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Surveys and Questionnaires
Touch

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04330352