JMIR mHealth and uHealth
October 3, 2023
Beomjun Min, Heyeon Park, Johanna Inhyang Kim et al.
25 citations
A 4-week mobile mindfulness training program, with or without neurofeedback assistance, reduced stress and improved psychological health in full-time employees. The neurofeedback-assisted group showed the greatest gains in resilience and relaxation, measured by electroencephalography, compared with a group that used only paper-based stress management materials. All groups completed assessments at baseline, immediately after training, and at a 4-week follow-up. The neurofeedback group's resilience improvements persisted through the follow-up period. The study suggests that adding neurofeedback may enhance the benefits of brief mobile mindfulness training for employee well-being, though larger and longer studies are needed.
JMIR mHealth and uHealth
May 3, 2023
Ying He, Zhijie Tang, Guozhen Sun et al.
21 citations
A brain-computer interface-based mindfulness meditation app, delivered alongside radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation, significantly reduced patients' pain, anxiety, and fatigue compared to conventional care alone. In a randomized trial of 84 patients, those using the app reported lower numeric rating scale scores (mean 4.6 vs 5.7), lower State Anxiety Inventory scores (mean 36.7 vs 42.3), and lower Brief Fatigue Inventory scores (mean 3.4 vs 4.7). The app also reduced the dose of fentanyl needed during the procedure (mean 3.96 vs 4.85 mcg/kg), though heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other sedative use did not differ between groups.
JMIR mHealth and uHealth
March 4, 2024
Christine Callahan, Justin Kimber, Emily Hu et al.
18 citations
Perceived stress in the United States has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic and is linked to depression and anxiety. Digital mental health interventions can reduce psychological symptoms in controlled settings, but less is known about their real-world effects. This analysis of Headspace app members with moderate or severe baseline perceived stress found that real-world use was associated with decreased perceived stress. Greater engagement, especially weekly active days and sessions, was associated with a greater likelihood of stress reduction. Among those with severe baseline stress, participants who saw improvement had significantly higher active days per week and sessions per week compared to those who did not improve.
JMIR mHealth and uHealth
December 10, 2024
Ryohei Tanaka-Kanegae, Koji Yamada, Chad M Cook et al.
1 citation
A randomized controlled trial compared guided tea meditation (GTM)—using matcha green tea and a mobile app with audio guidance—to traditional breathing meditation (BM) without an app over 8 weeks in 100 healthy American volunteers. No significant differences emerged between groups in total meditation time or frequency. The GTM group maintained at least 50 minutes of meditation per week and 4 days per week, and over half of GTM participants accepted the prototype. GTM reduced stress at weeks 4 and 8 and improved mood, similar to BM. Long-term GTM practitioners may feel more relaxed and calmer in a premeditation state than BM practitioners.
JMIR mHealth and uHealth
June 8, 2026
Julia Adams, Jonathan Davies, Prai Wattanatakulchat et al.
Meditation app use is generally low: half of users engage for 16 minutes or less in the first month after download, and fewer than 20% continue past 14 days. Intended use far exceeds actual use. Higher engagement is associated with expectation match, expectations for anxiety and attention, conscientiousness, satisfaction with life, and well-being, while neuroticism, perceived stress, psychological distress, and lower quality of life are linked to lower engagement. Readiness to change uniquely predicts higher engagement. Acute stress motivates use, but chronic stress disrupts it. Engagement is best when experiences match expectations and users are prepared to change.