Examining How Headspace Impacts Mindfulness Mechanisms Over an 8-Week App-Based Mindfulness Intervention

An 8-week app-based mindfulness intervention (Headspace) produced rapid and sustained improvements in acceptance-attention and nonreactivity, with marginal effects for decentering, among 132 university employees. Changes in these mindfulness mechanisms were detectable from the second week onward and increased steadily over the intervention period. The study used ecological momentary assessment five times daily for four days at baseline and during weeks 2, 5, and 8, yielding 6,327 assessments. Results suggest that app-based mindfulness can quickly enhance key mechanisms such as acceptance and nonreactivity.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Theoretical work proposed that mindfulness interventions function by enhancing various mindfulness mechanisms, including acceptance, attention monitoring, decentering, self-compassion, and nonreactivity. However, much of what is currently known about the effects of mindfulness interventions on mindfulness mechanisms comes from studies assessing these mechanisms pre- and post-treatment, which provides limited insights into how these mechanisms develop over the course of a mindfulness intervention. The present randomized, waitlist-controlled trial investigated how the proposed mindfulness mechanisms change over the course of an 8-week app-based mindfulness intervention (Headspace). Method A sample of university employees (n = 132; 76.5% female; age M ± SD = 38.5 ± 11.1; 54.5% White) was randomly assigned to participate in a mindfulness intervention (n = 92) or to a waitlist control group (n = 40). Mindfulness mechanisms were assessed using ecological momentary assessment, with participants providing reports on mindfulness mechanisms five times daily for four days during the baseline (pre-treatment), 2nd, 5th, and 8th weeks, resulting in a total of 6,327 assessments. Results Changes in the mechanisms of acceptance-attention and nonreactivity were observed from the second week of the intervention onwards, with marginal effects for decentering. These effects showed a steady linear increase in the mindfulness group. Conclusions Results demonstrate the potential for rapid and sustained improvements in mindfulness mechanisms following an app-based mindfulness intervention. Preregistration The study was preregistered on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03652168.