Development and initial evaluation of a mobile application to help with mindfulness training and practice

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Mindfulness and Meditation
• Mobile Health Applications

Background:

• Existing literature confirms the benefits of mindfulness for health and wellbeing.
• Previous reviews identified gaps in current mindfulness training tools.
• A novel mobile application prototype was developed to address these identified needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a mobile application for mindfulness training.
• To assess user acceptance, perceived quality, and usage patterns of the application.
• To explore correlations between app usage, demographic variables, and changes in mindfulness levels.

Main Methods:

• Development of two application versions: "Mindfulness" and "Mindfulness Sci".
• Two pilot studies were conducted: one with traditional groups and another for individual use.
• Data collection involved 3977 users over varying periods, including usage metrics and user feedback.

Main Results:

• The application received high user ratings for helpfulness, usability, and quality in initial trials.
• Positive perceptions of the app's contribution to mental and physical health were reported.
• Weak associations were found between usage and demographic factors; mindful level showed a marginal correlation with sessions completed.

Conclusions:

• This is the first Spanish-language mindfulness app co-developed with health professionals for general wellbeing.
• The app shows promising results for both group and individual use, indicating broad applicability.
• The potential user base for this digital health tool is substantial globally.