Office of Undergraduate Research

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Emphasizing equitable and inclusive access to research opportunities, the University of Maryland's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) empowers undergraduates and faculty to engage and succeed in inquiry, creative activity, and scholarship. This collection includes materials shared by undergraduate researchers during OUR events. It also encompasses materials from Undergraduate Research Day 2020, Undergraduate Research Day 2021, and Undergraduate Research Day 2022, which were organized by the Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research.

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Author: search.filters.author.Lanthier, Margaret

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    Mindfulness Interventions for Trauma-Exposed Civilians: A Scoping Review
    (2020) Lanthier, Margaret; Puett, Robin; Tchangalova, Nedelina
    Aim: Meditation, mindfulness, and yoga interventions have been shown to be promising treatments for mental illness, including posttraumatic stress disorder. The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesize studies investigating the effects of meditation and yoga interventions for non-veterans and non-military personnel recovering from traumatic life events and to compare the efficacy and the conditions in which the interventions were implemented. Method: A structured search of PubMed and four EBSCO Databases (PsycINFO, Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus) was conducted using a combination of free text keywords and controlled vocabulary terms. Eligible studies were included if: (1) treatment is specifically a form of meditation, mind-body therapy, or yoga (2) study participants were reported to have experienced a traumatic life event, (3) study population includes at least 20 subjects, (4) studies measured changes in PTSD symptomology through qualitative or quantitative measures, and (5) studies were published between 2000 and 2020 in English, peer-reviewed journals. Results: Of the 1,583 articles identified in the initial search, 919 titles and abstracts were reviewed after duplicates have been removed. 26 articles met the inclusion criteria. Seventeen studies found significant reductions in PTSD symptomology in participants enrolled in a meditation or yoga intervention. Four found qualitative improvements in symptoms and quality of life in participants. Five found no significant differences between participants in the intervention compared to the control. Sixteen of the interventions were performed in a group setting, nine included group and individual components, and only one was entirely individual. Conclusions: Meditation, mindfulness, and/or yoga interventions have great potential for reduction of PTSD symptomology in trauma-exposed civilian populations. However, environmental conditions including trauma-informed yoga instruction and a group or personal intervention are not highly considered in these studies. Further studies investigating the consideration of the environment for practicing mindfulness interventions are needed to determine how mindfulness interventions can be most effective and trauma-sensitive for participants.
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    Gender Influence on the Effectiveness and Feasibility of Mindfulness and Meditation Interventions: A Scoping Review
    (2020) Clark, Julia; Lanthier, Margaret; Puett, Robin; Tchangalova, Nedelina
    Meditation and mindfulness therapies have gained ground as promising treatments for a range of afflictions. However, little is known about the role of gender in determining barriers, experience, and effectiveness of meditation. This review aims to consolidate current research that explores the relationships between gender and meditation. Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsychInfo, and Web of Science. Eligible studies were included if: (1) treatment is specifically and exclusively meditation or mind-body therapy, (2) qualitative or quantitative differences between genders or lack of differences are described, (3) study population comprised of greater than 15 adult subjects with at least 20 percent representation from each gender, and (4) studies were published between 2000 and 2020 in English peer-reviewed journals. From a total of 998 citations, 25 articles met inclusion criteria. Studies measured the effectiveness of meditation interventions to improve stress reduction, addiction treatment, mental health, cardiovascular measures, lifestyle adjustments, and cognitive function. Mixed evidence exists for the presence of a greater benefit to stress reduction and symptom alleviation for women practicing meditation compared to men. Research is lacking in clear definitions of meditation and mindfulness, making the identification of key variables affecting gender differences challenging. Future studies should explore the role of the environmental context of meditation in creating gendered effects. More research is needed to investigate the experiences of sexual minorities and other special populations with meditation.