Effectiveness of Stress Free Now: an Internet-based Mindfulness Program for Stress Management

• Effect of SFN on stress [ Time Frame: End of intervention at week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Assess whether SFN reduces stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
  
  
• Effect of SFN on mindfulness [ Time Frame: End of intervention at week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Assess whether SFN improves mindfulness as measured by the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
  
  
• Effect of SFN on self acceptance [ Time Frame: End of intervention at week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  Assess whether SFN improves self-acceptance as measured by the Psychological Well-being - Self-Acceptance Subscale (PWb-SA)
  
  
• Effect of SFN on vitality [ Time Frame: End of intervention at week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Assess whether SFN improves vitality as measured by the Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS)
  
  
• Effect of SFN on spirituality [ Time Frame: End of intervention at week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Assess whether SFN improves transcendence as measured by the Adult Self-Transcendence Inventory (ASTI)
  
  

• SFN effect on physical and mental health [ Time Frame: End of intervention at week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Assess whether psycho-emotional improvement was accompanied with physical and mental health improvement as measured by SF36
  
  
• Effect maintained at week 12 follow up [ Time Frame: Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess whether outcome improvements are maintained at week 12
  
  
• Assess whether adding Social Media to SFN improves engagement and outcome [ Time Frame: Week 8 and 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To explore whether adding a message board component would enhance the effectiveness and experience of the program for participants
  
  
• Assess program engagement and adherence [ Time Frame: Through the 8-week program ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Assess program engagement and adherence by collecting Stress Free Now and Social Media self report weekly practice data and Website usage
  
  

Chronic, severe stress, a risk factor for premature aging and myocardial infarction, affects 35% of North Americans. Stress management programs, while effective, may be prohibitively resource intensive or difficult to access by broad populations.

This research is examining whether an online stress management program - Stress Free Now© (SFN) - can achieve meaningful improvements in measures of stress and wellbeing. We are also examining whether improvements in wellbeing and stress can be enhanced through an online, internet based support group which share experiences as they go through the Stress Free Now program. This program is modeled after an intensive group program, called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which has shown benefits across a broad array of medical issues in addition to more specific stress related problems.

This is a three arm randomized controlled trial which will last for 12 weeks. Participants will be randomized into one of the study arms: Non intervention Control, Stress Free Now and Stress Free Now + Message Board. We aim at enrolling 600 participants, with the expectation that 50% will complete the study (100 per group).

A series of questionnaires will be collected at baseline, at the end of the 8-week program and at follow up at week 12. Outcome measured are stress, mindfulness, vitality, physical, social and emotional health, transcendence and self-acceptance. We will also ask participants to complete a weekly log to measure program adherence and usage.