Background: Pregnant women with ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) affective or stress-related disorders face an elevated risk of perinatal depression and anxiety, yet evidence on digital nonpharmacologic interventions for this population remains limited. Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-week digital mindfulness-based...
Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease receiving maintenance hemodialysis experience a substantial symptom burden, and demoralization syndrome-characterized by helplessness, hopelessness, and loss of meaning-is highly prevalent and strongly associated with impaired quality of life. However, the psychological mechanisms linking symptom burden to demoralization remain poorly...
Background: Depression, anxiety,, and PTSD are leading global causes of disability. Standard interventions utilize slow mechanisms of action, high attrition, and significant accessibility barriers. While intravenous (IV) and intranasal ketamine are rapid-acting alternatives, high cost and intensive logistical requirements limit adoption. Sublingual (SL) at-home ketamine addresses some gaps but...
Mindfulness meditation has been reported to reduce stress and enhance well-being. However, its effects on heart rate variability (HRV)-a physiological marker of stress-remain underexplored. This study aimed to examine how meditation practice is associated with subjective stress, HRV, and their interaction, using mobile health technologies. This 3-week observational study included 90...
Background: Racially and ethnically minoritized individuals (REMs) who experience discrimination are at risk of developing stress, anxiety, and depression, and digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) can make evidence-based treatments such as mindfulness available to these groups. However, REMs are significantly underrepresented in the overall DMHI and mindfulness-based DMHI literature,...
Mainstays of pharmacoepidemiology are large, representative, behavioral surveys, which focus on many drugs with few detailed behaviors. Smaller, targeted studies measure drug-specific patterns but without explicit generalizability assumptions; the evidence generated is narrow. In this cross-sectional survey study, we outline an estimation framework based on data fusion and combine two surveys:...
Breast cancer surgery and corresponding treatments have significant residual effects on survivors of breast cancer in China. Body image distress and stigma are persistent challenges that negatively affect their quality of life. Accessible, sustainable, and cost-effective support remains scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an app-based mindfulness...
Background: A 3-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated that 2 formats of online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT)-group-blended and individual-unguided-effectively reduced psychological distress and improved positive health outcomes in people with cancer and survivors, when compared to care as usual, up to 3 months posttreatment. However, the long-term effectiveness and...
Background: Meditation has grown in popularity in recent years, but many people who try meditation often fail to establish a habit. Goal setting has been demonstrated to be an effective technique in behavior change in other health-related contexts but is understudied in the meditation context. Objective: This study had 2 objectives: (1) to assess the association between goal setting and the...
Background: Mental health problems among workers are a significant global concern, leading to substantial economic losses, particularly due to presenteeism. While mindfulness and self-compassion practices have shown promise in improving psychological well-being and occupational outcomes, traditional interventions often require a high time commitment. Low-intensity digital interventions remain...
Although working women experience increased work-related stress, preventive interventions to reduce its negative effects on their mental health are insufficient. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-based self-help intervention via a smartphone app across 4 domains (general psychological, work-related, family-related, and work-to-conflict) among working women. This...
Meditation apps are increasingly popular, yet there is limited understanding of how much users actually engage with them. While meditation apps show promise for supporting mental health, engagement in real-world settings appears to be notably low. The patterns of app use and the factors that influence usage remain relatively unclear. This study aims to examine the extent of meditation app use...
Background: Pregnancy is a vulnerable period for women, with an increased risk of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. The perinatal period is particularly important, as maternal mental health significantly impacts maternal physical health, pregnancy outcomes, postnatal outcomes, and fetal and infant development. Psychotherapeutic interventions for depression are essential,...
Reports of hospitalization associated with Diamond Shruumz-branded mushroom-containing products in October 2024 led to a manufacturer's recall that restricted the sale, distribution, and accessibility of this new and emerging psychoactive product. This study seeks to assess the continuing online availability of a mushroom-containing edible product in a diverse e-commerce landscape, specifically...
Nursing students experience disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges, underscoring the urgent need for innovative, scalable interventions. Web-based mindfulness programs, and more recently, neurofeedback-enhanced approaches, present potentially promising avenues for addressing this critical issue. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of the neurofeedback-assisted...
Prenatal insomnia symptoms are prevalent, debilitating, and largely untreated; yet, there is a lack of empirically supported and accessible interventions. Mindfulness-based interventions have been theoretically hypothesized to alleviate insomnia symptoms by counteracting adverse sleep-related cognitive and behavioral processes, although few studies have tested them. This study aimed to examine...
There is burgeoning interest in the application of neuroscientific technology to facilitate meditation and lead to beneficial psychological outcomes. One popular approach is using consumer-grade neurofeedback devices to deliver feedback on brain targets during meditation (mindfulness-based neurofeedback). It is hypothesized that optimizing brain targets like alpha and theta band activity may...
Perinatal maternal mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, are highly prevalent during pregnancy and post partum. Electronic mindfulness-based interventions (eMBIs) are a promising treatment option, which can be provided in a low-threshold, cost-effective manner. However, research underscores the fact that face-to-face coaching sessions are more effective than solely digital...
Depression is a significant global public health issue, and in China, access to mental health services remains limited despite high demand. Research has shown that mindfulness can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms and that telehealth solutions offer a promising avenue for addressing this service gap. Despite this potential, there are currently few studies in China focusing on short-term...
Perinatal mental health problems, such as anxiety, stress, and depression, warrant particularly close monitoring and intervention, but they are often unaddressed in both obstetric and psychiatric clinics, with limited accessibility and treatment resources. Mobile health interventions may provide an effective and more accessible solution for addressing perinatal mental health. Development and...
Virtual reality (VR) has been proposed as a technology to support mindfulness practice through promoting increased engagement and presence. The proposed benefits of this technology have been largely unexamined with clinical populations. Further research is required to understand its clinical potential and utility in improving and managing mental health symptoms. This study aims to investigate...
Cancer has emerged as a considerable global health concern, contributing substantially to both morbidity and mortality. Recognizing the urgent need to enhance the overall well-being and quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients, a growing number of researchers have started using online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in oncology. However, the effectiveness and optimal implementation...