Mobile mindfulness app for distress in survivors of serious illness

Trial details

Who runs it

Duke University

Trial code

NCT07634419

Record updated

8 July 2026

Original description

Serious acute heart and lung illnesses like heart failure, severe COVID, and sepsis often leave survivors struggling not only physically, but also with lasting depression, anxiety, and stress. These problems that are hard to treat because access to mental health care is often limited. To help address this, the researchers created Lift, a fully automated mindfulness program designed with patient input and delivered through a mobile app. The investigators now plan a large, multi-site study to test whether Lift improves mental health and quality of life over six months compared to a critical illness education program called Enlighten Recovery. Overall the goal is to make an easy-to-use, widely accessible program available to people across the U.S., including those who speak Spanish.Read full original descriptionShow less

Self-directed Mobile Mindfulness to Address ICU Survivors' Psychological Distress: Lift RCT (Lift 3)

Serious acute heart and lung illnesses like heart failure, severe COVID, and sepsis often leave survivors struggling not only physically, but also with lasting depression, anxiety, and stress. These problems that are hard to treat because access to mental health care is often limited. To help address this, the researchers created Lift, a fully automated mindfulness program designed with patient input and delivered through a mobile app. The investigators now plan a large, multi-site study to test whether Lift improves mental health and quality of life over six months compared to a critical illness education program called Enlighten Recovery. Overall the goal is to make an easy-to-use, widely accessible program available to people across the U.S., including those who speak Spanish.

Inclusion: Adult (age ≥18); Managed in an ICU for ≥24 hours during the time inclusion criterion #3 is met; Serious acute cardiorespiratory condition, defined as ≥1 of the following:; mechanical ventilation via endotracheal tube for ≥4 hours; non-invasive ventilation (CPAP, BiPAP) for ≥4 hours in a 24-hour period provided for acute respiratory failure; new use of supplemental oxygen ≥6 liters per minute (or increase in baseline continuous oxygen); use of vasopressors for shock of any etiology; use of inotropes for shock of any etiology; use of pulmonary vasodilators; use of aortic balloon pump or cardiac assist device for cardiogenic shock; use of diuretic intravenous drip; evidence of acute coronary ischemia (i.e., elevated troponin level, supporting EKG changes, unstable angina symptoms documented); urgent cardiac catheterization; Cognitive status intact; o No history of pre-existing significant cognitive impairment (e.g., dementia) as per medical chart; Absence of severe and/or persistent mental illness; o Treatment for severe and/or persistent mental illness (e.g., psychosis, bipolar affective disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizophrenia [as per medical record], hospitalization for any psychiatric disorder) within the 6 months preceding the current hospital admission; Functional fluency in English or Spanish (i.e., sufficient knowledge of English or Spanish to complete study tasks like watch videos, complete surveys); Elevated baseline psychological distress symptoms, defined as a PHQ-9 score ≥5.

Exclusion: Failure to randomize within 1 month after discharge from the hospital to home; Failure to login to study app and access content within 2 weeks after randomization; Discharged to a location other than a home setting (e.g., nursing home, long-term acute care facility, inpatient rehabilitation facility); Severe psychological distress as assessed by endorsement of active suicidality (see Protection of Human Subjects document for study team management of this finding).

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07634419