M I N D F U L N E S S A N D M E D I T A T I O N : T H E R E ’ S A N A P P F O R T H A T ?

B A L A N C E D W O R K S H O P - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 9

K A J A L K H A N N A , M D , J D S T A N F O R D U N I V E R S I T Y

M I N D F U L N E S S A N D M E D I T A T I O N

• Mindfulness-based interventions bring out positive physical and mental health outcomes (Brown, 2003; Keng, 2011)

• Cultivate increased moment-to-moment awareness while maintaining an open mind, free from distraction and judgment (Kabat-Zinn, 1994)

• 8 week courses, group-based interventions, 45 minutes home practice/day (Economides, 2018)

P H O N E - B A S E D M E D I T A T I O N A P P S

S M A R T P H O N E - B A S E D A P P S

• Digital mediums are wider-reaching, more affordable, demand less time

• May increase quality of life (van Emmerik, 2017), well being (Howells, 2014), self-reported mindfulness (Plaza Garcia, 2017), reduce symptoms of depression (Ly, 2014)

• In comparison with psychoaudio book, app program had significant positive impact on irritability, affect, and stress resulting from external pressure (Economides, 2018)

M I N D F U L N E S S I P H O N E A P P S :Q U A L I T Y

• 23 apps (english language, mindfulness training)

• Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) of high-quality mindfulness apps

• Headspace, Smiling Mind, iMindfulness, Mindfulness Daily highest scores (Mani, 2015)

• Program-Based Practice, Timer, Tracking, Mood Assessment

T E C H N O L O G Y - A I D S A N D F O C U S

Figure adapted from Peake at al, 2018

N E U R O F E E D B A C K

• Operant conditioning paradigm in which participants’ brainwaves are read by an EEG and relayed back in the form of audio and visual feedback (Vernon, 2005)

• Muse senses brainwaves and provides feedback to your mobile phone, to achieve ‘calm’ brainwaves, Muse instructs participant to focus on the breath

• Neurofeedback-assisted, technology-supported mindfulness training was associated with greater body awareness and calm, not increased attention (Bhayee, 2016)

R E F E R E N C E S

Brown, KW et al. (2003) The benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol 84: 822-48.

Keng, SL et al. (2011) Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: a review of empirical studies. Clin Psychol Rev 31: 1041-56. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006.

Kabat-Zinn, Jon. (1994) Wherever you go, there you are :mindfulness meditation in everyday life New York : Hyperion,

Economides, M. et al. (2018) Improvements in Stress, Affect, and Irritability Following Brief Use of a Mindfulness-based Smartphone App: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Mindfulness (NY) 9:1584-1593. doi: 10.1007/s12671-018-0905-4.

Van Emmerik AAP. et al. (2018) Efficacy of a Mindfulness-Based Mobile Application: a Randomized Waiting-List Controlled Trial. Mindfulness (NY) 9: 187-198. doi: 10.1007/s12671-017-0761-7.

Howells, FM et al. (2014) Mindfulness based cognitive therapy may improve emotional processing in bipolar disorder: pilot ERP and HRV study. Metab Brain Dis. 29: 367-75. doi: 10.1007/s11011-013-9462-7. Epub 2013 Dec 7.

Plaza Garcia, I. et al (2017) Development and initial evaluation of a mobile application to help with mindfulness training and practice. Int J Med Inform 105: 59-67 doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.05.018.

Ly, KH et al. (2014) Behavioural activation versus mindfulness-based guided self-help treatment administered through a smartphone application: a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 9::e003440. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003440.

Mani, M et al. (2015) Review and Evaluation of Mindfulness-Based iPhone Apps, JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 19;3:e82. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.4328.

Peake, JM et al (2018) Critical Review of Consumer Wearables, Mobile Applications, and Equipment for Providing Biofeedback, Monitoring Stress, and Sleep in Physically Active Populations. Front

Physiol 28: 743. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00743

Vernon D. J. ( 2005). Can neurofeedback training enhance performance? An evaluation of the evidence with implications for future research. Applied Psychophysiol Biofeedback, 30, 347–364. doi: 10.1007/s10484-005-8421-4

Bhayee S. et al. (2016). Attentional and affective consequences of technology supported mindfulness training: A randomised, active control, efficacy trial. BMC Psychol. 4:60 doi: 10.1186/s40359-016-0168-6.

All images available on Unsplash