Journal of Medical Internet Research
March 24, 2014
Jennifer M. Boggs, Arne Beck, Jennifer N. Felder et al.
73 citations
A Web-based program called Mindful Mood Balance (MMB), which delivers the core concepts of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), is a viable way to treat residual depressive symptoms and prevent relapse. In exit interviews with 38 participants who had a current PHQ-9 score of 12 or less and at least one prior major depressive episode, four main themes emerged: Web content, Web-based group process, home practice, and concept comprehension. Participants noted advantages such as flexibility, reduced cost, and less time commitment, as well as obstacles like time challenges for home practice and a need for more support. They endorsed developing affect regulation skills. High satisfaction suggests MMB can increase access to evidence-based psychological treatments for sub-threshold unipolar depression.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
September 28, 2023
Emma Louise Osborne, Ben Ainsworth, Nic Hooper et al.
28 citations
Digital mindfulness-based interventions can improve health outcomes but often fail because people stop using them. This scoping review of 22 qualitative studies identified three key factors affecting engagement: negative reactions to one's own practice that reduce motivation, difficulty making mindfulness a consistent habit, and reliance on others for support. The review suggests that developers should use person-based, participatory methods to improve acceptability and engagement.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
September 26, 2022
Christian A. Webb, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Richard J. Davidson et al.
26 citations
A data-driven algorithm can predict which individuals are most likely to benefit from a 4-week meditation app (Healthy Minds Program) compared to no intervention. The algorithm, called a Personalized Advantage Index, was developed using machine learning on baseline data from 662 school system employees in a randomized controlled trial. It significantly moderated group differences in distress reduction, meaning it identified people who improved more with the app versus the control condition. Repetitive negative thinking alone predicted benefit nearly as well. Such an algorithm could help individuals make informed decisions about whether a meditation app is appropriate for them.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
December 6, 2024
Rebecca Blackmore, Claudia Giles, Hailey Tremain et al.
23 citations
A single, brief virtual-reality-supported mindfulness practice—watching a 360-degree forest video with a guided audio voiceover—improved state mindfulness and reduced negative affect and anxiety in people with mood or anxiety disorders. Among 28 participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or an anxiety disorder, measures of curiosity and decentering (Toronto Mindfulness Scale) increased significantly (Cohen d=1.3 and 1.51), while negative affect (Cohen d=0.62) and state anxiety (Cohen d=0.84) decreased significantly. Positive affect did not change. Qualitative interviews revealed that the VR experience felt effortless, convenient, and safe, and participants saw potential for using VR mindfulness to manage emotions and mental health symptoms.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
May 4, 2021
Sebastian Hübner, Eline Haijen, Mendel Kaelen et al.
23 citations
In web-based studies that track people before and after they use psychedelics, many participants stop responding, which can bias the results. Analyzing data from 654 initial participants, younger age, lower education, higher extraversion, and lower conscientiousness predicted dropping out before the four-week endpoint. Neither positive attitudes toward psychedelics nor intense challenging experiences during the drug session predicted dropout. These attrition patterns match those seen in other long-term studies, suggesting they are not unique to psychedelic research. The absence of dropout linked to psychedelic advocacy or negative drug experiences reduces concerns about certain biases in this type of data.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
June 25, 2024
Ting Wang, Chulei Tang, Xiaoman Jiang et al.
15 citations
Online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) delivered via apps or websites significantly improve quality of life, sleep, anxiety, depression, distress, and perceived stress in cancer patients compared to standard care, based on a meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials involving 1,613 participants. No significant effects were found for fear of cancer recurrence or posttraumatic growth. Most interventions were multicomponent, website-based health self-management programs used internationally. The findings suggest online MBIs are promising for mental health and quality of life in oncology, though further research is needed to tailor them to individual symptoms.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
February 20, 2024
Huijing Zou, Sek Ying Chair, Bilong Feng et al.
15 citations
A social media-based mindfulness program (MCARE) added to usual care reduced depression and anxiety more than usual care alone in 178 patients with acute coronary syndrome. At six weeks, depression dropped substantially (Cohen's d = -1.28) and anxiety dropped moderately (Cohen's d = -0.83); these benefits persisted at 12 weeks. The program also improved psychological stress, physical and emotional quality of life, dietary behavior, physical activity, and systolic blood pressure. About 76% of participants completed at least five of six sessions, and over 93% rated the program acceptable. The findings suggest that integrating a mindfulness intervention delivered partly through WeChat can help manage psychological distress and improve cardiovascular risk factors in this population.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
January 17, 2025
Sehwan Park, Hee Young Cho, Jin Young Park et al.
11 citations
A 4-week self-administered mobile mindfulness program reduced anxiety and improved emotional well-being, maternal-fetal attachment, and mindfulness awareness in pregnant women. In a randomized trial with 133 participants, anxiety scores decreased significantly in the intervention group, while depression and stress showed no significant changes. Emotional well-being improved, and specific aspects of maternal-fetal attachment—attributing characteristics to the fetus and differentiating the self from the fetus—also improved. Mindfulness awareness increased. Between-group differences were significant for mindfulness awareness and attributing characteristics to the fetus. Mobile interventions may offer a cost-effective way to support perinatal mental health.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
March 8, 2024
Yu Gao, Lu Shi, Ning Fu et al.
11 citations
A mobile-delivered mindfulness program for college athletes in Shanghai showed no significant reduction in anxiety. Of 288 athletes, 150 received a therapist-guided smartphone mindfulness intervention while 138 received mental health messages. The intervention group showed no notable improvement in dispositional anxiety, precompetition anxiety, or competition anxiety compared to controls. Only the mindfulness facet of observation showed a small, statistically non-significant gain. Athletes in group sports reported higher anxiety and lower nonjudgmental and nonreactive mindfulness than individual-sport athletes. Participant feedback suggested that time constraints, such as exam periods, may have limited the program's effectiveness.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
April 17, 2025
Isaac N Treves, Zia Bajwa, Keara D Greene et al.
8 citations
Consumer-grade neurofeedback devices used during meditation produce a modest reduction in psychological distress compared to control conditions, but no improvements in cognition, mindfulness, or physiological health. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 21 randomized studies (763 participants in training trials, 167 in within-participant designs) found a small effect for distress reduction (g=-0.16) but no evidence that the devices help users modulate brain targets or deepen meditation. Most studies used the Muse device and mindfulness apps as controls. The authors suggest observed benefits may stem from placebo effects (neurosuggestion) rather than genuine neurofeedback. Adverse effects were rarely assessed.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
May 5, 2025
Juan Wang, Qiuhong Yang, Naixue Cui et al.
6 citations
A digital mindfulness-based intervention for prenatal insomnia reduced insomnia symptoms in pregnant women with subthreshold to clinical insomnia. In a randomized trial with 160 women, those receiving the six-week digital program plus standard care showed greater improvement in insomnia symptoms immediately after the intervention and in the third trimester compared to standard care alone, with a moderate effect size. Benefits were not sustained at 42 days postpartum. The intervention also increased the likelihood of insomnia remission by the third trimester. Changes in sleep-specific worry and presleep arousal mediated the effect. Most secondary outcomes, including sleep quality and mood, did not differ significantly between groups.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
May 23, 2025
Shu Jing, Zhenwei Dai, Xiaoyang Liu et al.
5 citations
A 6-week web-based mindfulness program, both conventional and neurofeedback-assisted, reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fatigue among 147 nursing students in Beijing, China. The neurofeedback-assisted version produced larger short-term improvements in depression, anxiety, and mindfulness than the conventional version. However, at 1- and 3-month follow-ups, only anxiety symptoms remained significantly different between groups; other benefits were not sustained. The findings suggest that adding neurofeedback to online mindfulness can enhance immediate mental health benefits, but longer interventions may be needed for lasting effects.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
February 13, 2025
Tingfei Zhu, Liuyi Zhang, Wenqi Weng et al.
4 citations
A 14-day internet-based, self-guided short-term mindfulness training program based on the Monitor and Acceptance Theory reduced depressive symptoms and improved mindfulness in Chinese adults. In a randomized trial with 205 participants, those in the training group showed significant improvements compared with a wait-list control group, with moderate effect sizes (Cohen d around 0.5 for depressive symptoms and mindfulness). Dropout rates were relatively low (under 40%), and participants reported high acceptance of the format. The program, delivered via the "Hi Emotion" platform, offers a scalable approach to help address the gap between limited mental health resources and high demand in China.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
October 12, 2023
Grant Jones, Franchesca Castro-Ramirez, Taylor Mcguire et al.
3 citations
A brief digital music-based mindfulness intervention called 'healing attempt' is feasible and may help reduce race-based anxiety in the Black community. The study replicates and extends earlier findings, suggesting the intervention is acceptable and potentially effective for addressing anxiety related to racial experiences.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
April 27, 2026
Karilynn M Rockhill, Elizabeth A Bemis, Nicole Schow et al.
2 citations
Combining a large representative survey with a smaller survey focused on psychedelic drugs can produce generalizable estimates of rare behaviors like drug use without adding burdensome questions to the big survey. Researchers used calibration weighting to transport estimates from a psychedelic-enriched survey (two waves, total over 4,300 adults) to a representative anchor survey (two waves, total over 57,000 adults). The method showed good internal consistency, with transport biases under 0.4 percentage points for demographics, health, and substance use. External validity improved for health and substance use estimates after fusion. Using the fused data, recreational use of psilocybin (92.9%), LSD (93.2%), and MDMA (93.3%) was far more common than medical use (30.9%, 26.4%, and 21.1%, respectively). This approach expands surveillance epidemiology for rare behaviors.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
June 30, 2025
Tim Mackey, Matthew Nali, Meng Zhen Larsen et al.
1 citation
After a manufacturer's recall of Diamond Shruumz-branded mushroom-containing products in October 2024 due to hospitalizations, online vendors continued to market and sell the products. Before the recall, 4117 product listings were identified across social media, cannabis e-commerce websites, and search engine queries. Post-recall, 45 out of 67 domains (67.16%) still marketed the product, and simulated purchases succeeded on 15 of 45 domains (33.33%). The recall highlights ongoing challenges in enforcing online sales restrictions for new psychoactive substances, which appeal to younger audiences through flavored edible products.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
June 2, 2025
Shu Jing, Zhenwei Dai, Xiaoyang Liu et al.
1 citation
correction
This is a correction notice for a previously published article. It provides no new findings, arguments, or data.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
February 24, 2025
Kathrin Hassdenteufel, Mitho Müller, Harald Abele et al.
1 citation
Combining an electronic mindfulness-based intervention (eMBI) with at least two face-to-face personal coaching sessions significantly reduced symptoms of depression and general anxiety, and lowered body mass index, in pregnant women who screened positive for depression. Mindfulness scores increased regardless of coaching frequency. The blended approach—digital intervention plus minimal personal coaching—amplified the effectiveness of the digital program alone, with the strongest effects on gestational weight gain seen in the group receiving personal coaching.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
June 17, 2026
Acacia C Parks, Amanda L Woodward, Robert D Henry et al.
A large analysis of 3,870 patients with moderate-to-severe depression, anxiety, or PTSD who used a telehealth program for at-home subcutaneous ketamine found significant symptom reductions after about six weeks. Depression scores on the PHQ-9 fell from 14.6 to 6.3, anxiety scores on the GAD-7 from 13.1 to 6.1, and PTSD scores on the PCL-5 from 46.7 to 27.5, all with large effect sizes. Over 80% of patients achieved a clinically meaningful improvement. Adverse events were low (2.8%-3.2%), and no serious complications occurred. The results suggest that supervised at-home subcutaneous ketamine is a safe and effective option that could expand access to rapid-acting treatment.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
February 2, 2026
Riko Uwagawa, Koichiro Adachi, Mariko Shimoda et al.
An 8-week mindfulness-based self-help intervention delivered via a smartphone app improved life satisfaction and reduced perceived stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and trait anger among working women. In a randomized trial with 106 women in the intervention group and 107 in a waitlist control, the app group showed significantly greater life satisfaction and lower depressive and anxiety symptoms after the program. The intervention did not significantly improve work-related, family-related, or work-to-family conflict indicators, suggesting that higher-intensity interventions may be needed for those outcomes.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
February 2, 2026
Julia Adams, Jonathan N. Davies, Prai Wattanatakulchat et al.
Most people who download meditation apps use them very little. In a survey of 536 recent users across five English-speaking countries, those who were more educated, more open to new experiences, and who held stronger beliefs that meditation apps would help them were more likely to engage regularly. Readiness to change, expectations for sleep and thriving, and perceived app quality and appeal were also linked to greater use. Age and higher education were among the strongest predictors of engagement. The findings suggest that user characteristics and attitudes toward the app matter more than mental health symptoms for determining how much someone uses a meditation app.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
May 29, 2026
Jo Takezawa, Shixian Geng, Masahiro Fujino et al.
Meditation practice is associated with lower subjective stress, though its effects on heart rate variability (HRV), a physiological marker of stress, are more nuanced. In a 3-week observational study of 90 participants—19 meditation practitioners, 32 recreational runners, and 39 controls—stress levels were significantly lower in both the meditation and running groups compared with controls. However, only the running group showed elevated HRV in daily life. During meditation sessions, HRV acutely increased by 4.68 milliseconds, with effects lasting at least 30 minutes post-practice. Higher subjective stress was linked to a concurrent reduction in HRV across all groups. The findings suggest meditation may increase HRV at specific times, potentially contributing to stress reduction, but this requires further study.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
September 19, 2023
Micah Cearns, Scott R Clark
Long-term real-world digital meditation practice is effective and associated with improvements in mood, equanimity, and resilience. Outcome change corresponded to 1 extra day of improved mood for every 5 days meditated and half-a-day-faster mood recovery compared with baseline. Practice consistency (4-7 days per week) was associated with the largest outcome change, while session length showed no significant differences in linear models but generalized additive models revealed significant differences over time, with longer sessions (21-30 min) associated with the largest mood change from the 20th session onward. Completing a greater variety of practice types was associated with significantly greater improvements across all outcomes. Adherence to long-term practice was best predicted by practice consistency, a morning routine, and maintaining an equal balance between interoceptive and exteroceptive meditations.
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.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
April 29, 2022
Bin Chen, Ting Yang, Lei Xiao et al.
Mobile mindfulness meditation (MMM) delivered via smartphone apps reduced stress and anxiety and improved well-being and mindfulness in university students, according to a meta-analysis of 10 studies with 958 participants. MMM was not more effective than control conditions for depression or resilience. The analysis found that waitlist control groups showed a larger effect on stress reduction than face-to-face comparison groups, and studies without commercial sponsorship showed a larger effect on mindfulness than those with company support. The overall evidence was rated moderate to low, and the authors call for further research to confirm the findings.