Increased Interest for Mindfulness Online.

Abstract

Background:“Mindfulness is the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment non-judgmentally” as defined by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Mindfulness has been practiced for centuries in various traditions and religions. During the last decade, mindfulness has been implemented in clinical trials, psychotherapy, vacation retreats, and even in technology with smartphone applications.Aims:The aim of this manuscript is to study the interest in mindfulness online.Methods:A Google Trends analysis was performed for the years 2004–2020, worldwide.Results:There was a statistically significant increase for the term “mindfulness” for the period studied (β: 2.14, 95%, confidence interval: 1.96–2.32, P < 0.001). Countries that searched for the term the most were Ireland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, and New Zealand, while the continent of Africa had the lowest searches. Searches for mindfulness peaked in April 2020, which is possible because of the anxiety caused worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusions:The observed increase in the interest for mindfulness might reflect society’s need for grounding and improving quality of life. High-quality clinical studies are necessary to answer questions about the mechanism in which mindfulness improves symptoms and how it can be incorporated into modern treatment plans.