Meta-analysis of Technology-Enabled Mindfulness-Based Programs for Negative Affect and Mindful Awareness

Victorson, David; Sauer, Christina; Wolters, Lauren; Maletich, Carly; Lukoff, Kai; Sufrin, Nat

doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01373-y

Cited by 29 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Pre-to-follow-up analyses demonstrated significant small effects for depression and anxiety (g=0.25 and g=0.23, respectively). Our findings are largely in line with those reported in previous meta-analyses [9,10,[28][29][30] and suggest that online MBIs have a significant low-to-moderate impact on mental health and that these effects are maintained at short-term follow-up. Thus, when addressing depression and anxiety, the impact of online MBIs appears similar to MBIs in traditional face-to-face format [14,23], as well as to other common interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy [134,135].…”

Section: Principal Findingssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The findings demonstrated small-to-medium effects on stress, anxiety, depression, and mindfulness compared with active and nonactive control conditions [29,30]. As these reviews address a narrower target population [29] and scope of interventions [30] than our original meta-analysis, a comprehensive review of online MBIs is still lacking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…In 2020, two more meta-analyses of technology-enabled and online MBIs were performed, focusing on stress management in the general population (n=16) [29] and distress in clinical and nonclinical populations (n=43) [30]. The findings demonstrated small-to-medium effects on stress, anxiety, depression, and mindfulness compared with active and nonactive control conditions [29,30]. As these reviews address a narrower target population [29] and scope of interventions [30] than our original meta-analysis, a comprehensive review of online MBIs is still lacking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

New Evidence in the Booming Field of Online Mindfulness: An Updated Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Sommers‐Spijkerman¹,

Austin²,

Bohlmeijer³

et al. 2021

JMIR Ment Health

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Background There is a need to regularly update the evidence base on the effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), especially considering how fast this field is growing and developing. Objective This study presents an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of online MBIs on mental health and the potential moderators of these effects. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search in PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science up to December 4, 2020, and included 97 trials, totaling 125 comparisons. Pre-to-post and pre-to-follow-up between-group effect sizes (Hedges g) were calculated for depression, anxiety, stress, well-being, and mindfulness using a random effects model. Results The findings revealed statistically significant moderate pre-to-post effects on depression (g=0.34, 95% CI 0.18-0.50; P<.001), stress (g=0.44, 95% CI 0.32-0.55; P<.001), and mindfulness (g=0.40, 95% CI 0.30-0.50; P<.001) and small effects on anxiety (g=0.26, 95% CI 0.18-0.33; P<.001). For well-being, a significant small effect was found only when omitting outliers (g=0.22, 95% CI 0.15-0.29; P<.001) or low-quality studies (g=0.26, 95% CI 0.12-0.41; P<.001). Significant but small follow-up effects were found for depression (g=0.25, 95% CI 0.12-0.38) and anxiety (g=0.23, 95% CI 0.13-0.32). Subgroup analyses revealed that online MBIs resulted in higher effect sizes for stress when offered with guidance. In terms of stress and mindfulness, studies that used inactive control conditions yielded larger effects. For anxiety, populations with psychological symptoms had higher effect sizes. Adherence rates for the interventions ranged from 35% to 92%, but most studies lacked clear definitions or cut-offs. Conclusions Our findings not only demonstrate that online MBIs are booming but also corroborate previous findings that online MBIs are beneficial for improving mental health outcomes in a broad range of populations. To advance the field of online MBIs, future trials should pay specific attention to methodological quality, adherence, and long-term follow-up measurements.

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Section: Principal Findingssupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

New Evidence in the Booming Field of Online Mindfulness: An Updated Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Sommers‐Spijkerman¹,

Austin²,

Bohlmeijer³

et al. 2021

JMIR Ment Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Traditional mindfulness training programs that span a longer time interval with in-person visits have reported larger effects on affective well-being (Goyal et al, 2014;McClintock et al, 2019). Nonetheless, meta-analyses of short-term (Schumer et al, 2018) and technology-based (Victorson et al, 2020) mindfulness training have also reported a small but significant impact on improved affect. Accordingly, it is important to acknowledge the benefit of mindfulness training can be observed after and throughout the 10 days of training in our study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Daily mindfulness training reduces negative impact of COVID-19 news exposure on affective well-being

Kam

Javed

Hart

et al. 2021

Psychological Research

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COVID-19 has led to mental health adversities worldwide. The current study examined whether daily practice of brief mindfulness training has a beneficial impact on affective well-being, and mitigates the negative impact of exposure to COVID-19 news during the pandemic. Participants were randomly assigned into a mindfulness training (MT) group or a waitlist control (WC) group. Participants in the MT group practiced guided mindfulness meditation for a minimum of 10 min each day for 10 days. Both groups completed questionnaires assessing well-being at baseline and after the 10-day period. We also included four ecological momentary assessments (EMA) interspersed throughout the day to measure fine-grained affective states and recent exposure to COVID-19-related news, which has been linked to negative affect. We observed an increase in positive affect in the MT group compared to the WC group in the post-training assessment. However, no group differences emerged in the other three post-training affective measures of negative affect, anxiety and depression. EMA revealed that the MT group also showed more positive affective valence than the WC group across the 10 days. Notably, the WC group reported more negative affective valence following COVID-19 news exposure, whereas the MT group was not impacted. Taken together, our study indicates brief sessions of guided mindfulness meditation during COVID-19 may boost positive affect and serve as a protective buffer against the negative impact of exposure to COVID-19-related news on affective wellbeing. These findings highlight the utility of mindfulness meditation as an accessible and cost-effective technique to elevate positive affect amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“…There is also increasing interest in learning mindfulness using self-help resources including through books, online programmes and smartphone apps ( Cavanagh et al, 2014 ; Cuijpers et al, 2009 ; Gu et al, 2018 ; Jayewardene et al, 2017 ; Lever Taylor et al, 2014 ; Victorson et al, 2020 ), partly driven by limited access to in-person MBI groups in many areas ( Crane and Kuyken, 2012 ; Rycroft-Malone et al, 2019 ) and by the cost of these courses. Self-help apps such as Headspace ( Headspace, n.d. ) is becoming increasingly popular, with over 60 million downloads and over 2 million subscribers to date ( Headspace, 2020 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Is clinician-supported use of a mindfulness smartphone app a feasible treatment for depression? A mixed-methods feasibility study

Strauss

Dunkeld

Cavanagh

2021

Internet Interventions

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Depression is the leading cause of disability globally and has serious consequences for the individual, their family and for society. Effective, accessible and affordable treatments are urgently needed. In-person group-based mindfulness-based interventions are an effective treatment for depression, but are not widely available and can be costly. Clinician supported use of mindfulness self-help resources such as mindfulness smartphone applications could widen access at a reduced cost, but there are key feasibility questions that need answering. This is a mixed-methods feasibility study of a blended intervention involving the mindfulness smartphone app Headspace alongside six clinician support sessions with mental health treatment seeking adults experiencing moderate to moderately severe symptoms of depression. In line with recommendations for feasibility studies, we examine whether: (1) it is possible to recruit participants to this novel intervention, (2) participants engage with the intervention, (3) participants and clinicians find the intervention acceptable, and (4) pre-post outcomes on measures of depression (primary outcome), anxiety, wellbeing, mindfulness, self-compassion, rumination and worry indicate effectiveness. Findings show that recruitment is feasible with 54 participants enrolled in the intervention within a 6-month window. In terms of engagement, 44.4% completed at least 80% of recommended Headspace sessions and 72.2% of participants attended at least three clinician support sessions. Clinician-supported Headspace was deemed acceptable by participants and clinicians. Pre-post effect sizes were statistically significant and in the small-medium or medium-large range on all outcomes, with an effect size of d = 0.69 (95% CI: 0.34–1.04) for the primary outcome of depression symptom severity. The number of Headspace sessions engaged with was associated with greater reduction in depression symptom severity. Findings suggest that a blended intervention combining Headspace with clinician support has potential as a first-line treatment for moderate/moderately severe depression, but findings are too preliminary to recommend the intervention outside of a research trial. Important caveats are noted including the need for future research to examine predictors of engagement with Headspace sessions so that engagement can be enhanced, to measure the longer term effects of such interventions and to better understand the potential for lasting negative effects of the intervention so that these can be minimised.

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Meta-analysis of Technology-Enabled Mindfulness-Based Programs for Negative Affect and Mindful Awareness

Cited by 29 publications

References 58 publications

New Evidence in the Booming Field of Online Mindfulness: An Updated Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

New Evidence in the Booming Field of Online Mindfulness: An Updated Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Daily mindfulness training reduces negative impact of COVID-19 news exposure on affective well-being

Is clinician-supported use of a mindfulness smartphone app a feasible treatment for depression? A mixed-methods feasibility study

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