Table 2. Study procedures at specific time points.
| 7-day retreat | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home baseline screening | Day 1st (BL) | Day 4th | Day 7th | 3- and 12-month follow-up | |
| Epigenetic measures | |||||
| • DNA methylation levels | x | x | x | ||
| • Proportion of main blood cell types | x | x | x | ||
| • Epigenetic clocks | x | x | x | ||
| Psychological measures (outcomes of programs) | |||||
| • Perceived Stress Scale | x | ||||
| • Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) | x | x | x | x | |
| • Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15) | x | x | x | ||
| • Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) | x | x | x | ||
| • Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) | x | x | x | ||
| • State Difficulties in Emotion Regulation (S-DERS-21) | x | x | x | x | |
| • State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) | x | x | x | x | |
| • State Self-Compassion Scale (SSCS) | x | x | x | x | |
| • Fear of Compassion (FOC) | x | x | x | x | |
| • Hedonic and Arousal Affect Scale (HAAS) | x | x | x | x | |
| • Meditation-Related Adverse Effects Scale | x | x | x | ||
| Psychological tasks | |||||
| • Arithmetic Stress Test | x | x | x | ||
| • Autobiographical memory retrieval | x | x | x | ||
| • Positive and Negative Affect Schedules (PANAS—state) | x | x | x | ||
| • State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-20) | x | x | x | ||
| Psychophysiological laboratory | |||||
| • EEG recording (open- and closed-eyes) | x | x | x | ||
| • EKG recording | x | x | x | ||
| • Respiratory rate | x | x | x | ||
| Cortisol activity | |||||
| • Saliva samples (bedtime and awakening) | x | x | x | ||
Note: BL = Baseline