USING AN MBSR MOBILE APP FOR MENTAL HEALTH: EXPERIENCES OF OLDER ADULTS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

Older adults from an underserved, primarily African American community found a culturally-tailored mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) mobile app acceptable and feasible for addressing mental health needs. In semi-structured interviews with 17 participants aged 60–84, four themes emerged: the app reduced barriers to mindfulness, increased self- and environmental awareness, enabled on-demand practice during stressful moments, and supported habits for maintaining calm. The qualitative analysis suggests that mobile app-delivered MBSR can bridge mental health care gaps for this population, though effectiveness requires further evaluation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Older adults living in underserved and racial/ethnic minority communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond faced challenges regarding access to mental health care, compounded by additional vulnerability to disease. Technological solutions such as mobile applications provide great opportunities to address mental health concerns. This qualitative, descriptive analysis explores experiences of participating in an interactive and culturally-tailored mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) mobile application intervention for mental health among older adults from an underserved, primarily African American community. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who completed an 8-week MBSR mobile app intervention. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. A total of 17 participants were included in the analysis. Participants were ages 60-84 (M = 65.76, SD = 6.02); 94.1% were female; 82.4% reported their race/ethnicity as Black or African American. Four themes were identified in our preliminary analysis: app technology facilitated an openness to mindfulness and deconstructed barriers to access, enabled participants to come into a greater awareness of self and surroundings, allowed on-demand practices particularly during prime opportunities and stressful situations, and encouraged personal habits for maintaining and revisiting calm and relaxing states. Findings suggest feasibility and acceptability of a mobile app-delivered MBSR intervention addressing mental health needs for older adults, as well as satisfaction with app content, delivery, and support. Innovative technologies such as mobile apps have immense potential to bridge gaps in care and should be further evaluated for effectiveness and possible implementation to ameliorate mental health symptoms in underserved communities.