The efficacy of mindfulness meditation apps in enhancing users' well-being and mental health related outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Éva Gál, Simona Stefan, I. Cristea
Journal of Affective Disorders October 7, 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.134 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA meta-analysis of 34 randomized controlled trials (7566 participants) found that mindfulness meditation apps significantly reduce perceived stress, anxiety, and depression and improve psychological well-being at post-test compared to control conditions. No significant effects were found for distress or general well-being. The authors caution that results should be interpreted carefully due to the small number of included studies, uncertain risk of bias, and heterogeneity.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7,566 |
| Population | Adult users of mindfulness meditation apps |
| Intervention | mindfulness meditation app |
| Keywords | Medicine Psychology |
| Key finding | Mindfulness meditation apps significantly reduce perceived stress, anxiety, and depression and improve psychological well-being, but not distress or general well-being. |
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mindfulness applications are popular tools for improving well-being, but their effectiveness is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that employed a mindfulness meditation app as the main intervention to improve users' well-being and mental-health related outcomes. METHODS A systematic search was conducted in PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, the Cochrane Library, Open Grey and ResearchGate through June, 2020. Effects were calculated as standardized mean difference (Hedges' g) between app-delivered mindfulness interventions and control conditions at post-test and pooled with a random-effects model. RESULTS From 2637 records, we selected 34 trials (N = 7566). Significant effect sizes were found at post-test for perceived stress (n = 15; g = 0.46, 95% CI [0.24, .68], I2= 68%), anxiety (n = 15; g = 0.28, 95% CI [0.16, .40], I2= 35%), depression (n = 15; g = 0.33, 95% CI [0.24, .43], I2= 0%), and psychological well-being (n = 5; g = 0.29, 95% CI [0.14, .45], I2= 0%). No significant effects were found for distress at post-test (n = 6; g = 0.10, 95% CI [-0.02, .22], I2= 11%) and general well-being (n = 5; g = 0.14, 95% CI [-0.02, 0.29], I2 = 14%). CONCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS Mindfulness apps seem promising in improving well-being and mental-health, though results should be interpreted carefully due to the small number of included studies, overall uncertain risk of bias and heterogeneity.