# HeartMath for Youth Resiliency and Violence Prevention--A Community-Based Randomized Controlled Trial

> **NIH ALLCDC R01** · NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER · 2020 · $349,999

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Reducing exposure and building youth resiliency to child abuse and neglect (CAN), youth
violence, teen dating violence (TDV), sexual assault, and self-harm/suicidality requires
community-wide interventions. Targeted approaches to reduce specific subtypes of violence are
costly, missing the overlap across violence. Further, extant individual interventions rely heavily
on cognitive training. This project will provide scientific evidence through a field experiment
concerning the effectiveness of a universal trauma-informed prevention intervention, HeartMath
for Youth Resiliency and Violence Prevention, to build youth resiliency and prevent multiple
forms of violence impacting children. The HeartMath Institute will deliver the teacher training
and 4.5 month student intervention supported by a concurrent online parent training to teach
basic neurophysiology concepts and techniques to build resilience, reduce stress, and reduce
involvement in violence. Developing a universal intervention based on neurophysiological
science to impact youth, educators, and families has the potential to streamline school-based
resources for efficient violence prevention, thus saving costs and time for academic goals and
providing fundamental skills for abused and neglected youth to break cycles of violence. In a
one-year randomized controlled trial, we will test student main effects, subgroup effects for
youth exposed to abuse and neglect at home, and educator effects of the program on resiliency
and youth violence outcomes. Eighth grade educators in 40 schools in Texas Region 6, their
students, and students' families are the target community. Schools will be randomized to
universal treatment or control, and 2-3 random classrooms per school (n=1,800 students)
selected for evaluation. Data sources are baseline and follow-up student and educator surveys
and heart rate variability (a noninvasive biomeasure of resilience, and a key biofeedback
component of the training), process data on technology usage, and practice logs. NORC will
lead the evaluation with partner UTMB collecting on-site data. The hypotheses are that
HeartMath will result in significantly (1) increased student and teacher resiliency and reductions
in youth exposure to CAN and involvement in youth violence, sexual violence, TDV, and suicidal
ideation; (2) greater program effects for students with CAN histories compared to peer students;
and (3) greater educator resiliency and mentoring skills to survey as capable guardians for
students. Outcomes will be assessed via multi-level structural equation models that estimate
latent variables representing CAN exposure, resiliency, and violence profiles. Products include a
final report, peer-reviewed articles, and a multi-tier dissemination plan for practitioners.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10022293
- **Project number:** 5R01CE003108-02
- **Recipient organization:** NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Elizabeth A Mumford
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $349,999
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2022-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10022293

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10022293, HeartMath for Youth Resiliency and Violence Prevention--A Community-Based Randomized Controlled Trial (5R01CE003108-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10022293. Licensed CC0.

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