Background: Meditation has become increasingly popular in recent decades. However, relatively little remains known about the prevalence of and risk factors for adverse experiences related to a single meditation practice. Objective: The objective of our study was to examine adverse experiences associated with 3 brief, digitally delivered meditation practices (mindfulness, self-compassion, and...
JMIR Mental HealthAugust 14, 2026Syed Ali Bokhari, Abdelaziz A Osman, Muhanad Elnoor et al.
Abstract Background Persecutory delusions have long mirrored prevailing cultural and technological concerns. Beliefs involving implanted devices, internet surveillance, hacked smartphones, algorithmic targeting, and AI-mediated control are increasingly visible in contemporary psychosis. However, we identified no prior review dedicated specifically to synthesizing technology-themed delusional...
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a critical need for effective population mental health approaches to target the most prevalent disorders (eg, depression) during periods of elevated community distress. The effectiveness of remotely delivered and web-based interventions should be investigated to identify and innovate high-quality models for population mental health service delivery. The primary...
JMIR Mental HealthJuly 15, 2026Xichun Wu, Jackelyn De Alwis, Zenan Dou et al.
Background: Mobile mindfulness interventions have shown promise for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms, but sustaining engagement remains a persistent challenge. Many digital programs still rely on formal practice that requires dedicated time, which may be difficult to integrate into daily life. Objective: This randomized controlled trial evaluated Habitual Mindfulness Practice (HMP), a...
JMIR Mental HealthJune 16, 2026Lorenzo Ghelfi, Jack Healy, Francesco Piacenza et al.
Abstract Background Psychotic disorder represents a leading cause of disability worldwide, and relapse in psychosis is common. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly recognized as a method that could aid clinical monitoring for individuals experiencing psychosis. Objective This review aims to map the existing literature on AI-based approaches—including machine learning, deep learning, and...
Background: Digital meditation-based interventions (MBIs) reach vast global audiences with millions of active users, yet concerns persist about the frequency and nature of adverse experiences (ie, AExs) occurring during meditation training. Some researchers have argued that AExs are substantially underdetected and reflect iatrogenic harm caused by meditation (ie, adverse effects [AEfs]). Others...
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into daily life has introduced unprecedented forms of human-machine interaction, prompting psychiatry to reconsider the boundaries between environment, cognition, and technology. This Viewpoint reviews the concept of "AI psychosis," which is a framework to understand how sustained engagement with conversational AI systems might trigger, amplify,...
JMIR Mental HealthAugust 19, 2025Alessandro Sparacio, Jonathan Nicholas Davies, Erin Lee et al.
Background: Fully decentralized self-administered mindfulness interventions show promise for stress reduction, but rigorous evaluations of their feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness using both self-report and physiological measures remain limited. In Singapore, where mental health concerns rank as the top health care priority (46%), ahead of cancer (38%) and stress-related issues...
The general public is largely aware of meditation, and there is compelling evidence the practice has health benefits. But many people who are aware of meditation have not tried it, and those who do often struggle to establish a regular practice. The barriers to meditation are generally understood and include a lack of knowledge, a lack of time, and unclear benefits. These barriers present an...
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are widely employed in mental health promotion and treatment. Despite widespread evidence of effectiveness with different populations and delivery modes, there are sparse findings concerning the mechanisms of action in MBIs. This study, based on a secondary evaluation of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with student participants, was aimed at...
JMIR Mental HealthNovember 21, 2024Francesca Malandrone, Sara Urru, Paola Berchialla et al.8 citations
Patients with cancer often face depression and anxiety, and mindfulness-based interventions, including internet-based versions, can effectively reduce these symptoms and improve their quality of life. This study aims to investigate the impact of internet-based mindfulness-based interventions (e-MBIs) on anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms in patients with prostate or breast cancer. The...
Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and stand-alone mindfulness meditation interventions are gaining empirical support for a wide variety of mental health conditions. In this study, we test the efficacy of web-based therapist-guided mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-M) for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a psychiatric disorder characterized by preoccupations with...
Background: The utility of brief mindfulness ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) to improve empathy and theory-of-mind has been underinvestigated, particularly in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Objective: In this randomized controlled trial, we aimed to examine the efficacy of a 14-day, fully self-guided, mindfulness EMI on the empathy and theory-of-mind domains for GAD. Methods:...
JMIR Mental HealthJuly 19, 2023Amanda Sommerhoff, Thomas W. Ehring, Keisuke Takano
Background: Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a cognitive risk factor for various disorders. Although brief mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs; lasting 20-30 minutes or shorter) are effective tools to reduce RNT, the effect of a minimal (5-minute) MBI remains largely unknown. Objective: We investigated the acute changes in RNT induced by a 10-day minimal MBI (body scan before sleeping)...
Meditation apps have the potential to increase access to evidence-based strategies to promote mental health. However, it is currently unclear how meditation apps are situated within the broader landscape of meditation practice and what factors may influence engagement with them. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence and correlates of meditation app use in a population-based sample of...
JMIR Mental HealthFebruary 28, 2022Megan A Kirk, Bilal Taha, Kevin Dang et al.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating, undertreated condition. The web-based delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy supplemented with mindfulness meditation and yoga is a viable treatment that emphasizes self-directed daily practice. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a web-based cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and yoga (CBT-MY) program designed for...
Background There is a need to regularly update the evidence base on the effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), especially considering how fast this field is growing and developing. Objective This study presents an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of online MBIs on mental health and the potential moderators of these effects....
Background University students are experiencing higher levels of distress and mental health disorders than before. In addressing mental health needs, web-based interventions have shown increasing promise in overcoming geographic distances and high student-to-counselor ratios, leading to the potential for wider implementation. The Mindfulness Virtual Community (MVC) program, a web-based program,...
BACKGROUND: A growing number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest psychological benefits associated with meditation training delivered via mobile health. However, research in this area has primarily focused on mindfulness, only one of many meditative techniques. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of 2 versions of a self-guided, smartphone-based meditation app-the...
Background A student mental health crisis is increasingly acknowledged and will only intensify with the COVID-19 crisis. Given accessibility of methods with demonstrated efficacy in reducing depression and anxiety (eg, mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]) and limitations imposed by geographic obstructions and localized expertise, web-based alternatives have become...
JMIR Mental HealthFebruary 13, 2020L. Chavez, K. Kelleher, Natasha Slesnick et al.
Background Homelessness among youth is devastating, with high rates of substance use disorders and mental health comorbidity. Mindfulness-based interventions that include meditation and mindfulness skills training reduce stress and symptoms of anxiety or depression. However, engaging high-risk youth in interventions is challenging. Virtual reality is a more flexible platform for delivering...
Background: In conservative and rural areas, where antidiscrimination laws do not exist, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people are at risk for excess stress arising from discrimination. Stress-reducing interventions delivered via innovative channels to overcome access barriers are needed. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of online mindfulness-based...
JMIR Mental HealthSeptember 25, 2018Julia Sevilla-Llewellyn-Jones, Olga Santesteban-Echarri, Ingrid Pryor et al.
Web-based mindfulness interventions are increasingly delivered through the internet to treat mental health conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of web-based mindfulness interventions in clinical mental health populations. Secondary aims were to explore the impact of study variables on the effectiveness of web-based mindfulness interventions. We performed a...
Internet-supported mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly being used to support people with a chronic condition. Characteristics of MBIs vary greatly in their mode of delivery, communication patterns, level of facilitator involvement, intervention period, and resource intensity, making it difficult to compare how individual digital features may optimize intervention adherence...