A mobile app-delivered mindfulness program for dementia caregivers (Healthy Minds Program for Caregivers) was feasible and acceptable in a pilot randomized trial with 95 participants. Feasibility benchmarks were met for enrollment, retention, and data collection. The intervention improved mindfulness and positive aspects of caregiving with large effects, and changes in these targets correlated with stress reduction. However, improvements in stress, depression, and anxiety were not statistically significant compared with an education podcast control, though trends favored the mindfulness program. A fully powered trial is warranted to test efficacy.
About 28% of distressed college students and 10% of distressed US adults reported at least one adverse experience during a digital meditation program, but rates did not differ between those who completed guided meditations and those who did not, suggesting the experiences were not caused by meditation itself. Higher baseline depression, anxiety, loneliness, experiential avoidance, and perceived barriers to meditation predicted more adverse experiences. Among those reporting adverse experiences, roughly 90% were glad to have learned to meditate. Participants used diverse coping strategies, often drawing on skills taught in the program. The findings indicate that adverse experiences during meditation training may reflect preexisting distress rather than iatrogenic harm.
A pilot test of a smartphone-based meditation app with 35 professional firefighters found that the 10-day self-guided program was feasible and acceptable. After using the app, firefighters showed significant reductions in anxiety, burnout, and negative affect, along with changes in waking cortisol levels, an objective marker of stress biology. The app, developed by Healthy Minds Innovations, included practices for mindfulness, connection, insight, and purpose. The authors call for further research to confirm the app's efficacy in reducing psychological distress and burnout among firefighters.