Mind the app: more time spent on headspace leads to beneficial day-to-day changes in mindfulness, depression, anxiety and stress in college students
Cogent Mental Health September 9, 2024 Mackenzie E. Pierce, Grazia Mirabito, Paul Verhaeghen 6 citations
Over a two-week period, 57 college students who used the Headspace app reported daily on their app use, mindfulness, depression, anxiety, and stress. App use averaged 86 minutes total. Day-to-day anxiety and stress decreased, while depression and mindfulness remained stable. Statistical models showed that time spent on the app increased momentary mindfulness, which in turn reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. A lagged effect emerged for anxiety: app use on one day boosted mindfulness that day, which lowered anxiety the next day. The results suggest that state mindfulness is a key mechanism through which the app improves mental health.