Qiang Xie

Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

2 papers in the library · 31 citations · publishing 2023-2025

Papers

Situating Meditation Apps Within the Ecosystem of Meditation Practice: Population-Based Survey Study.

JMIR mental health April 28, 2023 Sin U Lam, Qiang Xie, Simon B Goldberg 29 citations

Among US adults who have ever meditated, more than half (58.8%) have used a meditation app at least once, and 21.7% use one weekly or daily. Younger age, higher anxiety, and a mental health motivation for meditating were linked to having used a meditation app. Active users were younger, less likely to be men or non-Latinx White, had lower income, and were more likely to have started meditating for spiritual reasons. Concerns about cost, effectiveness, time, technical issues, and user-friendliness were more common among app users. Desired features include practice tips, reminders, mini-practices, and mental health content, while social features were less popular. Headspace and Calm were the most used apps.

DOI: 10.2196/43565 Full text Meditation Mindfulness Consumer behavior Digital health +3

Developing meditation practice in individuals with elevated psychological distress via a meditation app intervention: An implementation science-informed qualitative investigation of barriers and facilitators.

Psychological services July 10, 2025 Rachel L Dyer, Katherine M Zimmerman, Xinxuyang Zhao et al. 2 citations

Depression and anxiety have worsened among American adults in recent decades. Meditation apps could help reduce these symptoms, but many users struggle to keep using them. This study interviewed 20 adults with elevated depressive or anxiety symptoms who were part of a clinical trial testing a meditation app called the Healthy Minds Program. Using an implementation science framework called the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, the researchers identified four categories: practical factors that helped users build a meditation habit, motivations for starting and sticking with practice, obstacles to developing a practice, and suggestions for improving the app. Most participants reported positive outcomes, which for some motivated continued use. Future work should examine how barriers and facilitators shift as users gain more experience.

DOI: 10.1037/ser0000980 Full text Meditation apps Mindfulness apps Digital meditation App-based meditation +15