Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Huddinge, Sweden.
2 papers in the library · 4 citations · publishing 2025
Older adults who used a voice-guided mindfulness app for three weeks reported that digital mindfulness can enhance self-perceived well-being by fostering resilience and self-care, but also experienced adverse effects such as frustration and discomfort. The experiences and design preferences of older adults were highly individual, diverse, and manifold, indicating that personalized approaches are essential for effective engagement. The study was based on qualitative interviews with 15 older adults in Sweden after they used the app at home.
A chatbot powered by a large language model (LLM) can support mindfulness practice among older adults. In a pre-study, 15 older adults used a commercial mindfulness app with human guidance for three weeks, and their feedback highlighted the importance of voice, personality, interactivity, and ease of use. Based on these insights, a prototype AI mindfulness coach was built by fine-tuning OpenAI's ChatGPT on a custom dataset of mindfulness scripts. The prototype was then assessed through participatory design workshops, suggesting that LLM-based chatbots may offer a promising avenue for delivering mindfulness support tailored to older adults.