Mindfulness Effects in Obstetric and Gynecology Patients During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: A
Rachael B Smith1, Nichole D Mahnert, Janet Foote
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona.
Insights
A mobile meditation app significantly reduced stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances in women
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Mental Health
- Digital Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented stress for patients.
- Outpatient obstetric and gynecology patients experienced significant psychological distress.
- Consumer-based mobile applications offer accessible wellness interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a mobile meditation app on wellness.
- To assess stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in women's health patients.
- To determine the efficacy of digital mindfulness tools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial with 101 obstetric and gynecology patients.
- Intervention group used a mobile meditation app for 30 days; control group received standard care.
- Primary outcome: perceived stress. Secondary outcomes: depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, app satisfaction.
Main Results:
- The meditation app group showed significant reductions in perceived stress at 14 and 30 days (P=.005, P=.002).
- Significant decreases in depression (P=.002, P=.04) and anxiety (P=.01, P=.04) were observed in the intervention group.
- Sleep disturbance improved significantly (P=.001, P=.02), with over 80% reporting high app satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- A consumer-based mobile meditation app effectively improved mental wellness in outpatient women's health patients.
- The app significantly reduced perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance.
- Mobile health interventions are valuable tools for managing psychological distress in clinical populations.
Objective:
To assess the effect of a consumer-based mobile meditation application (app) on wellness in outpatient obstetric and gynecology patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods:
We conducted a randomized controlled trial at a university outpatient clinic of obstetric and gynecology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women were randomly assigned to the intervention group, who was prescribed a mobile meditation app for 30 days, or the control group, which received standard care. The primary outcome was self-reported perceived stress. Secondary outcomes included self-reported depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and satisfaction with the meditation app. A sample size of 80 participants (40 per group) was calculated to achieve 84% power to detect a 3-point difference in the primary outcome.
Results:
From April to May 2020, 101 women were randomized in the study-50 in the meditation app group and 51 in the control group. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. Most characteristics were similar between groups. Perceived stress was significantly less in the intervention group at days 14 and 30 (mean difference 4.27, 95% CI 1.30-7.24, P=.005, d=0.69 and mean difference 4.28, 95% CI 1.68-6.88, P=.002, d=0.69, respectively). Self-reported depression and anxiety were significantly less in the intervention group at days 14 and 30 (depression: P=.002 and P=.04; anxiety: P=.01, and P=.04, respectively). Sleep disturbance was significantly less in the intervention group at days 14 and 30 (P=.001 and P=.02, respectively). More than 80% of those in the intervention group reported high satisfaction with the meditation app, and 93% reported that mindfulness meditation improved their stress.
Conclusion:
Outpatient obstetric and gynecology patients who used the prescribed consumer-based mobile meditation app during the COVID-19 pandemic had significant reductions in perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance compared with standard care.
Clinical Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04329533.
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