For my Master's thesis in Developmental Psychology, I designed and proposed a randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of brief mindfulness meditation interventions in reducing parental stress and building resilience during the challenging first year of infant development. The study addressed a critical gap in research by focusing on nonclinical parents with infants aged 0-12 months, examining both first-time parents and those with other children.

The research employed a between-subjects experimental design using validated instruments including the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), with planned two-tailed MANOVA statistical analysis to examine differences between intervention and control groups. The three-week mindfulness meditation intervention was designed for delivery through mobile app technology to enhance accessibility, particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional support systems were disrupted.

The theoretical framework drew from extensive literature review demonstrating that untreated parenting stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and negative developmental outcomes for children, while mindfulness-based interventions show promise for stress reduction and resilience building in various populations. This research contributed to the limited literature on virtual mental health interventions for nonclinical parenting populations.

Key outcomes: Developed comprehensive research methodology for studying mindfulness interventions in parenting populations, created accessible intervention framework using mobile technology, contributed to literature on nonclinical parent mental health support.

• Link: Read complete thesis proposal

• Skills demonstrated: Research design and methodology, literature review and synthesis, intervention development, survey design, statistical analysis planning (MANOVA), vulnerable population research ethics