Examining Equity in Access and Utilization of a Freely Available Meditation App.
Zishan Jiwani, Raquel G Tatar, Cortland J. Dahl, Christine D Wilson-Mendenhall, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Richard J. Davidson, Simon B. Goldberg
npj Mental Health Research April 18, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s44184-023-00025-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 66,482 |
| Population | US-based users of the Healthy Minds Program meditation app |
| Duration | October 2019 to July 2022 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Access to care Health disparities Digital technology Smartphone apps Meditation-based interventions |
| Key findings | College education was associated with greater likelihood of accessing and continuing to use a free meditation app, while African American identity was associated with lower likelihood of access and continued use. African Americans were more likely to access content from an African American meditation teacher, but this did not appear to increase utilization. |
Abstract
Digital interventions have the potential to alleviate mental health disparities for marginalized and minoritized communities. The current study examined whether disparities in access and utilization of meditation in the United States (US) were reduced for a freely available meditation app. We analyzed demographic and usage data from US-based users of the Healthy Minds Program (HMP; N = 66,482) between October 2019 and July 2022. College education was associated with a greater likelihood of accessing (65.0% of users vs. 32.9% of the US population) and continuing to utilize the app (β = .11-.17). Conversely, identifying as African American was associated lower likelihood of accessing (5.3% vs. 13.4% of US population) and continuing to utilize the app (β = -.02-.03). African Americans were more likely to access content from an African American meditation teacher, but this did not appear to increase utilization. Additional efforts are warranted to identify factors which might reduce disparities.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, guided imagery and progressive relaxation use among US adults from 2002 to 2022 Scientific Reports July 1, 2024
- The meditation app revolution. American Psychologist August 7, 2025
- Acceptability, usage, and efficacy of mindfulness apps for college student mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Journal of Affective Disorders December 15, 2024
- Can psychedelic use benefit meditation practice? Examining individual, psychedelic, and meditation-related factors. PLoS One February 12, 2025
- Personalized prediction of response to three meditation practices: A randomized controlled trial Behaviour Research and Therapy August 10, 2026
and 7 more in the library
Cites 12
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- The Cultural Relevance of Mindfulness Meditation as a Health Intervention for African Americans Journal of Holistic Nursing January 17, 2014
- Testing the Efficacy of a Multicomponent, Self-Guided, Smartphone-Based Meditation App: Three-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR Mental Health November 27, 2020
- App-Based Mindfulness Meditation for People of Color Who Experience Race-Related Stress: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR Research Protocols August 28, 2023
- Motivation for Meditation and its Association with Meditation Practice in a National Sample of Internet Users. Mindfulness September 20, 2022
and 7 more in the library