Mindfulness-based mobile app reduces anxiety and increases self-compassion in healthcare students: A randomised controlled trial
Álvaro Orosa-Duarte, Roberto Mediavilla, Ainoa Muñoz-Sanjosé, Angela Palao, J. Garde, Vera López-Herrero, M. Bravo-Ortiz, Carmen Bayón, Beatriz Rodriguez-Vega
Medical Teacher February 28, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/0142159x.2021.1887835 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | Healthcare students |
| Interventions | mindfulness-based mobile application in-person mindfulness-based training program |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | A mobile mindfulness app reduced trait anxiety with a large effect size compared to controls and was not significantly different from an in-person mindfulness program; both interventions increased self-compassion and mindfulness. |
Abstract
Abstract Objective To compare the effect of a mindfulness-based mobile application versus an in-person mindfulness-based training program in terms of reducing anxiety and increasing empathy, self-compassion, and mindfulness in a population of healthcare students.
Methods: The authors conducted a single-blind, randomised controlled trial with three parallel groups. Participants were allocated to the mobile app, the in-person mindfulness-based program (IMBP), or a control group. Assessments at baseline and postintervention (8 weeks) included measures of anxiety, empathy, self-compassion, and mindfulness.
Results: Of 168 students randomised, 84 were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis (app: n = 31; IMBP: n = 23; control: n = 30). The mobile app group showed a large effect size for reductions in trait anxiety compared with controls (g = 0.85, p = 0.003), and a medium, nonsignificant effect compared with the IMBP group (g = 0.52, p = 0.152). Participants from both interventions experienced a significant increase in self-compassion and mindfulness compared with controls. Levels of empathy remained unchanged for the 3 arms.
Conclusions: A mobile app can be as effective as an IMBP in reducing anxiety and increasing self-compassion and mindfulness among healthcare students.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 19
- The efficacy of mindfulness apps on symptoms of depression and anxiety: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review February 1, 2024
- Enhancing academic resilience through mindfulness training: an experimental study with Chinese undergraduates and the mediating role of psychological flexibility Frontiers in Psychology November 5, 2025
- Effects of mindfulness meditation training offered in-person and via a virtual world on self-compassion: A study with U.S. military active duty and veterans. Work 2024
- Mindfulness-Based Programmes for Work Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Stress and Health December 1, 2025
- The effects of mindfulness meditation on mechanisms of attentional control in young and older adults: a preregistered eye tracking study. eNeuro July 7, 2025
and 14 more in the library
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