Delivering Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Insomnia, Pain, and Dysfunctional Eating Through a Text Messaging App: Three Randomized Controlled Trials Investigating the Effectiveness and Mediating Mechanisms
Journal of Medical Internet Research August 28, 2023 Amanda CM Li, Keith KL Wong, Floria HN Chio et al.
Three randomized controlled trials tested text messaging-based mindfulness interventions for insomnia, pain, and dysregulated eating in urban adults. Across 333, 235, and 351 participants respectively, intervention groups showed significant improvement on most outcomes at one-month follow-up compared to wait-list controls, with some effects sustained at three months. Medium-to-large effect sizes were found at postassessments. Mediation analyses identified different pathways: dysfunctional beliefs about sleep mediated insomnia outcomes; pain catastrophizing mediated pain intensity and functioning; and power of food mediated eating behaviors. Mindfulness mediated some secondary outcomes like anxiety and depressive symptoms. Text messaging shows potential as a core intervention modality for common health issues.