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Previous research has demonstrated restorative effects of music, showing that exposure to music yields mental health benefits that include improvement in stress management. However, it remains unclear whether the benefits of “on the spot” music interventions extend to cognitive performance. The present study explored whether music can be applied as a low-cost, non-invasive “on the spot” intervention to improve cognitive performance and physiological effects. Specifically, studies has yet to examine whether the effects of different genres of focus music extend beyond stress management to include cognitive performance and physiological effects. To address this gap in the literature, the current study recruited 120 healthy adults in a fully randomized procedure involving three experimental groups of participants and a control group. Each experimental group was exposed to one specific genre of focus music compared to a no-music control group. In a between-group design, the study exposed three separate groups to jazz music, piano music, and lo-fi music respectively. The fourth group was a no-music control group. The study employed a 3-day experimental procedure and a follow-up procedure in which participants completed two attention monitoring tasks. Participants completed focus music interventions with a duration of 15 and 45 min. The follow-up procedure aimed to experimentally induce music familiarity and probe its effect on cognitive performance. To assess cardiovascular effects, heart rate variability (HRV) data was collected during the music intervention period and during a baseline period. Results showed performance differences across the three active music groups on the sustained attention to response task (SART) compared to the no-music control group. Furthermore, the study showed a physiological effect in the direction of increased parasympathetic activity indexed as an increased HRV response in the three active music groups compared to the no-music control group, adding to convergent lines of evidence suggesting that music can enhance parasympathetic activity and cognitive performance. In addition, the study found that music familiarity (relative to music unfamiliarity) influenced cognitive performance in the direction of faster reaction times (RTs) during the music intervention period in which participants were exposed to the attentional network task (ANT) and an increase in the physiological response in the familiar relative to the unfamiliar music condition. In summary, the study found evidence of a pronounced effect of three types of focus music on both cognitive performance and the underlying physiological response. Thus, focus music holds promise as an evidence-based intervention offering mental health benefits through physiological improvements and enhancement of cognitive processing.

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Background Stress-related mental health disorders have steadily increased and contributed to a worldwide disease burden with up to 50% experiencing a stress-related mental health disorder worldwide. Data suggest that only approximately 20%-65% of individuals receive treatment. This gap in receiving treatment may be attributed to barriers such as limited treatment access, negative stigma surrounding mental health treatment, approachability (ie, not having a usual treatment plan or provider), affordability (ie, lack of insurance coverage and high treatment cost), and availability (ie, long waits for appointments) leaving those who need treatment without necessary care. To mitigate the limited access mental health treatment, there has been a rise in the application and study of digital mental health interventions. As such, there is an urgent need and opportunity for effective digital mental health interventions to alleviate stress symptoms, potentially reducing adverse outcomes of stress-related disorders. Objective This study examined if app-based guided mindfulness could improve subjective levels of stress and influence physiological markers of stress reactivity in a population with elevated symptoms of stress. Methods The study included 163 participants who had moderate to high perceived stress as assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Participants were randomly allocated to 1 of 5 groups: a digital guided program designed to alleviate stress (Managing Stress), a digital mindfulness fundamentals course (Basics), digitally delivered breathing exercises, an active control intervention (Audiobook), and a Waitlist Control group. The 3 formats of mindfulness interventions (Managing Stress, Basics, and Breathing) all had a total duration of 300 minutes spanning 20-30 days. Primary outcome measures were perceived stress using the PSS-10, self-reported sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and trait mindfulness using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. To probe the effects of physiological stress, an acute stress manipulation task was included, specifically the cold pressor task (CPT). Heart rate variability was collected before, during, and after exposure to the CPT and used as a measure of physiological stress. Results The results showed that PSS-10 and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores for the Managing Stress (all P<.001) and Basics (all P≤.002) groups were significantly reduced between preintervention and postintervention periods, while no significant differences were reported for the other groups. No significant differences among groups were reported for Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (P=.13). The physiological results revealed that the Managing Stress (P<.001) and Basics (P=.01) groups displayed reduced physiological stress reactivity between the preintervention and postintervention periods on the CPT. There were no significant differences reported for the other groups. Conclusions These results demonstrate efficacy of app-based mindfulness in a population with moderate to high stress on improving self-reported stress, sleep quality, and physiological measures of stress during an acute stress manipulation task. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05832632; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05832632

UNSTRUCTURED Stress is accepted as a contributing factor to the onset of a range of adverse mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. There is an urgent need for effective digital mental health interventions to address the adverse outcomes of stress-related disorders. Few studies have directly demonstrated the efficacy of app-based mindfulness interventions in populations with elevated stress levels. The current study examined if app-based guided mindfulness could improve subjective levels of stress and influence physiological markers of stress reactivity in a population with elevated symptoms of stress. The study included 163 participants who had moderate to high perceived stress (PSS-10, Perceived Stress Scale: 14-40). Participants were randomly allocated to 1 of 5 groups: a digital guided program designed to alleviate stress (Managing Stress), a digital mindfulness fundamentals course (Basics), digitally delivered breathing exercises, an active control intervention (audiobook), and a waitlist control group. The three formats of mindfulness interventions (Managing Stress, Basics, breathing) all had a total duration of 300 minutes spanning 20-30-days. Primary outcome measures were perceived stress using the PSS, self-reported sleep quality using the PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and trait mindfulness using the MAAS (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale). To probe the effects of physiological stress, an acute stress manipulation task was included, specifically the cold pressor task (CPT). Heart rate variability (HRV) was collected before, during and after exposure to the CPT and used as a measure of physiological stress. The results showed that PSS and PSQI scores for the Managing Stress and Basics groups were significantly reduced from pre to post while no significant differences were reported for the other groups. The physiological results revealed that the Managing Stress and Basics groups displayed reduced physiological stress reactivity from pre to post before, during, and after the CPT. There were no significant differences reported for the other groups. Subgroup analyses stratified participants in the Basics and the Managing Stress by baseline stress levels using the median PSS score into either moderate or high stress. Only the Managing Stress subgroup showed improved PSS scores among high stress participants, while there was no significant difference in PSS reduction by subgroup for the Basics group. These results demonstrate efficacy of app-based mindfulness in a population with moderate to high stress on improving self-reported stress, sleep quality and physiological measures of stress during an acute stress manipulation task.