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.
An 8-week smartphone-based mindfulness training program during pregnancy reduced depression symptoms and improved anxiety and positive affect compared to an attention control group. Among 168 pregnant women at risk of perinatal depression, those in the mindfulness group showed a lower risk of positive depressive symptoms (EPDS score >9) postintervention (odds ratio 0.391) and higher depression symptom remission. Medium effect sizes were observed for depression and positive affect at postintervention and for anxiety in late pregnancy. Nulliparous women appeared to benefit more from the training. The overall dropout rate was 34.5%, with 52.4% completing the intervention.
Peripartum depression and anxiety are common among hospitalized high-risk pregnant women in Germany, yet structured screening and low-threshold treatments are lacking. In a pilot study of 68 women, 39% scored above the cutoff for minor/major depression on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at the first assessment and 41% at the second. Over two-thirds had elevated state anxiety. After a 1-week electronic mindfulness-based intervention (eMBI), participants showed a significant reduction in mean state anxiety levels. Those who completed more than half of the course also had lower pregnancy-related anxiety scores. No significant changes in depression scores were observed. Short-term eMBIs may help reduce anxiety but not depression in this population.
A virtual reality (VR) mindfulness app that placed users in a peaceful forest environment significantly increased state mindfulness and positive affect in a sample of 37 participants from the general population. State mindfulness showed a large increase (Cohen d=1.80), and positive affect also rose. No notable changes in negative emotion, arousal, or simulator sickness occurred. Participants described the experience as relaxing and calming, noting that VR helped them focus on the present moment by using visual and auditory elements as attentional anchors. The sense of presence in the virtual environment supported mindfulness, while interruptions to presence acted as distractors. Minor discomforts related to video fidelity and headset weight were infrequent.