Gender differences in the influence of app-based mindfulness meditation on emotion regulation: a randomised controlled trial.
Koichiro Adachi, Takumu Kurosawa, Ryu Takizawa
Scientific Reports April 6, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-46317-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial with crossover design Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 300 |
| Population | Japanese workers employed at least 20 hours weekly |
| Interventions | body-scan loving-kindness |
| Duration | 4-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognitive flexibility Emotion regulation Gender differences Mindfulness-based interventions Online interventions |
| Key findings | Women showed greater cognitive flexibility and reduced angry reactions after a four-week online mindfulness intervention, while men showed no significant changes. |
Abstract
This study investigated whether gender moderates the effects of online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on mental health outcomes in non-clinical populations. Specifically, we explored gender-related patterns in emotion regulation and cognitive flexibility. Data were obtained from a randomised controlled trial employing a crossover design in 2022 and 2023. Three hundred Japanese workers employed for at least 20 h weekly were randomly allocated to either an intervention or a waitlist group. The participants engaged in a four-week, app-based MBI involving daily guided practices, including brief breathing and body-scan meditations, with either loving-kindness or open-monitoring components. Perceived stress, anger, psychological flexibility, self-esteem, and emotion regulation were assessed at baseline and immediately after the four-week intervention or waitlist period. Interaction analyses between groups and gender revealed significant effects for cognitive flexibility (p = 0.023, partial η2 = 0.018) and angry reaction (p = 0.007, partial η2 = 0.025), although these findings did not survive correction for multiple testing. Exploratory simple slope analyses showed women showed greater cognitive flexibility (p = 0.034, Cohen’s d = 0.36) and reduced angry reactions (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = −0.56), whereas men showed no significant changes in either variable (p = 0.202, Cohen’s d = -0.29 and p = 0.350, Cohen’s d = 0.22, respectively). This study tentatively suggests that brief online MBIs in preventive contexts may be associated with greater improvements in cognitive flexibility, with exploratory patterns indicating possible gender-related heterogeneity. However, these gender-related patterns should be interpreted cautiously. Considering individual differences, including gender, may help guide future preregistered personalisation research of digital psychological interventions.
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
Cites 14
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- Compassion in the landscape of suffering Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Women Benefit More Than Men in Response to College-based Meditation Training. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
- Gender differences in response to a school-based mindfulness training intervention for early adolescents. Journal of school psychology June 1, 2018
and 9 more in the library