# Exploring PTSD Symptoms, Barriers and Facilitators to Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction for Justice-Involved Black/African American Female Adolescents and Parents/Caregivers

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $195,850

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
High rates of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with delinquency (and recidivism)
persist for justice-involved individuals. This enduring problem denotes a significant gap in our treatment
approach. PTSD, the primary outcome of the proposed study about healing informed mindfulness-based stress
reduction (MBSR), combines stress-inflammation/cortisol reactivity, recidivism, personal agency, racial identity,
and parent-child relationships (secondary outcomes), which contribute to the overall health equity and well-being
of justice-involved Black/African American female adolescents (JI BAFAs). The proposed study will investigate
the barriers and facilitators to the MBSR intervention with JI BAFAs and their P/Cs. MBSR has been successfully
implemented as a treatment for PTSD and is a promising new approach for healing to reduce health disparities
among both JI BAFAs and their P/Cs. We will use a healing-informed MBSR approach based on an intersectional
trauma-responsive (ITR) framework: Intersectionality theory, Healing Centered Engagement (HCE), and
Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). HCE is based on healing justice, a strengths-based framework to re-
center culture and improve and nurture well-being that involves transforming institutions and relationships that
cause harm to collectively heal and foster hope. TDF comprises 7 stages to assess implementation problems
and supports intervention design as a solution to the theory-practice gap as it helps identify theoretically driven
targets for interventions based on content-specific information about the behavior targeted to change, i.e., PTSD
symptoms. For this study, we expect to enroll (35 JI BAFAs and P/C dyads) in Franklin County, OH. This two-
phase study follows a multimodal mixed methods design, comprising two phases. Phase I includes collecting
qualitative interview data about their past barriers to treatment and interventions and use this information as well
as self-report survey results to culturally adapt until we reach saturation. Participants will complete study
assessments with psychosocial and biological (biomarker) data (n = 10 JI BAFAs-P/Cs dyads) (Aim 1). Phase
II consists of conducting a nonrandomized pilot test of the adapted intervention adapted healing intervention to
assess the feasibility of recruitment, acceptability, and preliminary effects of the adapted intervention on the
study outcomes. Dyads will complete assessments, and psychosocial and biological data at baseline,
immediately after the final intervention session (~ 3 months post baseline) and again 6-months post-baseline.
Clinically meaningful improvements in PTSD symptoms (primary outcome) and stress/cortisol reactivity,
recidivism, agency, racial identity, parent-child relationships (secondary outcomes) will be examined. (n = 25 JI
BAFAs-P/Cs dyads) (Aim 2). We will also promote healing of the dyads’ relationship dynamic via the intervention
to create a corrective ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10888147
- **Project number:** 5R21MD016940-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Camille R. Quinn
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $195,850
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-07-14 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10888147

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10888147, Exploring PTSD Symptoms, Barriers and Facilitators to Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction for Justice-Involved Black/African American Female Adolescents and Parents/Caregivers (5R21MD016940-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10888147. Licensed CC0.

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