Effects of Mindfulness Exercise Guided by a Smartphone App on Negative Emotions and Stress in Non-Clinical Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Jinlong Wu,Zhanbing Ren,Zhenhui Zhou,Yifan Qin,Kangyong Zheng,Yudan Ma,Yifan Zuo

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.773296

Abstract

BackgroundStudies have acknowledged that mindfulness exercise guided by a smartphone app has a positive impact on mental health and physical health. However, mindfulness guided by a smartphone app on mental health is still in its infancy stage. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis evaluating the effect of mindfulness intervention guided by a smartphone app on negative emotions and stress in a non-clinical population with emotional symptoms.MethodsWe searched major databases, namely, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang, to identify all of the relevant studies published in English or Chinese from their inception until November 9, 2021. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed with Cochrane risk-of-bias bias assessment tool. Two researchers independently conducted document retrieval, study selection, data extraction, and methodological quality evaluation.ResultA total of eight studies were included in the study, with 574 subjects (experimental group: 348; control group: 226). A random effects model was selected to combine effect sizes. The results of the meta-analysis showed that mindfulness exercise guided by a smartphone app reduced negative emotions [standardized mean difference (SMD) = −0.232, 95% CI: −0.398 to −0.066, p = 0.006], depressive symptoms (SMD = −0.367, 95% CI: −0.596 to −0.137, p = 0.002), and anxiety symptoms (SMD = −0.490, 95% CI: −0.908 to −0.071, p = 0.022).ConclusionsThe findings indicate the potentially beneficial effect of mindfulness exercise guided by a smartphone app on symptoms of depression and anxiety among individuals in a non-clinical population with emotional symptoms. Considering the small number and overall methodological weakness of the included studies and lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the results should be interpreted with caution, and future rigorously designed RCTs are warranted to provide more reliable evidence.

Highlights

The WHO reported that about 8% of the world’s population has an emotional disorder, which is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality (1)
This study involved a meta-analysis evaluation of the effects of mindfulness intervention guided by a smartphone app on negative emotions and stress on a non-clinical population with emotional symptoms
Our study showed that mindfulness intervention guided by a smartphone app had a small-to-medium improvement effect on the negative emotions of the non-clinical population with emotional symptoms

Summary

Introduction

The WHO reported that about 8% of the world’s population has an emotional disorder (e.g., depression or anxiety), which is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality (1). If emotional symptoms are not regulated through intervention, there will be even more negative emotional consequences or they can develop into depression, anxiety, and other emotional disorders (4, 5). Prevention (instead of intervention) among the non-clinical population with emotional symptoms is of great importance. Studies have acknowledged that mindfulness exercise guided by a smartphone app has a positive impact on mental health and physical health. Mindfulness guided by a smartphone app on mental health is still in its infancy stage. We conducted a meta-analysis evaluating the effect of mindfulness intervention guided by a smartphone app on negative emotions and stress in a non-clinical population with emotional symptoms

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Conclusion