Mindfulness improves psychological health and supports health behaviour cognitions: Evidence from a pragmatic RCT of a digital mindfulness-based intervention.
Masha Remskar, Max J. Western, Ben Ainsworth
British Journal of Health Psychology November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12745 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Longitudinal Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,247 |
| Population | Adults from 91 countries |
| Intervention | Digital mindfulness programme |
| Dose | 30 days of mindfulness practice |
| Duration | 30-day intervention, 2-month follow-up |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Behaviour change Digital health Self‐regulation Well‐being |
| Citations | 24 |
| Key findings | Digital mindfulness training for 30 days significantly improved well-being and reduced depression and anxiety, with effects mediated by improved health behaviour attitudes and intentions. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions can improve psychological health; yet the mechanisms of change are underexplored. This pre-registered remote RCT evaluated a freely accessible digital mindfulness programme aiming to improve well-being, mental health and sleep quality. Health behaviour cognitions were explored as possible mediators. Participants from 91 countries (N = 1247, Mage = 27.03 [9.04]) were randomized to 30 days of mindfulness practice or attention-matched control condition. Measures of well-being, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, barriers self-efficacy, self-regulation and behavioural predictors (e.g., attitudes and behavioural intentions) were taken at baseline, 1-month (post-intervention) and 2-months (follow-up). Linear regression examined intervention effects between and within groups. Longitudinal mediation analyses explored indirect effects through health behaviour cognitions. Three hundred participants completed post-intervention measures. Those receiving mindfulness training reported significantly better well-being (Mdifference = 2.34, 95%CIs .45-4.24, p = .016), lower depression (Mdifference = -1.47, 95%CIs -2.38 to -.56, p = .002) and anxiety symptoms (Mdifference = -.77, 95%CIs -1.51 to -.02, p = .045) than controls. Improvements in well-being and depression were maintained at follow-up. Intervention effects on primary outcomes were mediated by attitudes towards health maintenance and behavioural intentions. Mediating effects of attitudes remained when controlling for prior scores in models of depression and well-being. Digital, self-administered mindfulness practice for 30 days meaningfully improved psychological health, at least partially due to improved attitudes towards health behaviours and stronger behavioural intentions. This trial found that digital mindfulness is a promising and scalable well-being tool for the general population, and highlighted its role in supporting health behaviours.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Two weeks to tune in: Evaluating the effects of a short‐term body scan on interoception Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being September 4, 2025
- Psychological trajectories following brief mindfulness training: a longitudinal comparison of active and passive controls Frontiers in Psychology August 26, 2026
- Real-World Meditation App Engagement: Longitudinal Study of the Medito Meditation App. JMIR mHealth and uHealth June 8, 2026
- Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety and functional recovery in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: A prospective study Psycho-Oncologie September 29, 2025
- AI-Supported Mindfulness Interventions Advances in Computational Intelligence and Robotics March 26, 2026
and 4 more in the library
Cites 18
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences December 21, 2018
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry. FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry January 24, 2018
- Comparing the efficacy of mindfulness-based therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression in head-to-head randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis of equivalence. Clinical Psychology Review December 1, 2022
- The Effect of Virtual Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Current Psychiatry Reports July 23, 2021
and 13 more in the library