Healing Hearts: A Mindfulness App for Parents Navigating Divorce or Separation
Eligible age
18+ yrs
Accepts
All genders
Locations
1 state
Healthy volunteers
Yes
See if you qualify for this study
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About this study
This study examines online programs for parents navigating divorce or separation. Researchers will study whether a self-guided mindfulness app called Healing Hearts, followed by a self-guided online parenting program called the electronic New Beginnings Program, is feasible and acceptable to parents and shows promising effects on parent and child wellbeing. Ninety-six parents who live in the United States, have a child aged 6 to 18 with a former partner, and report mild to moderate psychological distress will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: Healing Hearts followed by the parenting program, the parenting program alone, or a set of online educational resources. Participants complete online assessments before assignment, about seven weeks later, and about seven weeks after the second assessment. The study measures parent wellbeing, parenting, parent reports of child behavior, program use, and participant experiences. All participation takes place remotely.
Sponsor: University of Connecticut
You may qualify if…
- ✓ Age 18 years or older.
- ✓ Able to speak, read, and write in English; living in the United States.
- ✓ Has a mobile device, internet access on that device, and uses email.
- ✓ Identifies as a parent and has at least one child aged 6 to 18 years with an ex-partner. Parenting time with the target child exceeds 3 hours/week.
- ✓ Is going through a legal process to separate or divorce; or was married and divorced or legally separated within the past 3 years; or was never married to the ex-partner and has a qualifying separation marker within the past 3 years.
- ✓ For never-married parents, the listed markers are child custody, visitation, or formal parenting-plan proceedings or agreements; child-support proceedings or agreements; dissolution of a domestic partnership or civil union; or either partner moving out and maintaining separate households.
- ✓ Reports a Kessler 6 psychological distress score from 1 through 12, inclusive.
You may not qualify if…
- ✕ Low-speed internet.
- ✕ Current regular mind-body practices, such as meditation or yoga.
- ✕ The parent or target child is in psychotherapy or other clinical research.
- ✕ Kessler 6 score of 0 or 13 or higher.
- ✕ History of major psychiatric disorders.
- ✕ Current alcohol use problems.
Where it's recruiting
Stamford
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT07871916 · last updated 2026-10-13