Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness Mobile Application for Ruminative Adolescents

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Rumination is a risk factor for the development of internalizing psychopathology that often emerges during adolescence. The goal of the present study was to test a mindfulness mobile app intervention designed to reduce rumination. Method Ruminative adolescents (N = 152; 59% girls, 18% racial/ethnic minority, Mage = 13.72, SD = .89) were randomly assigned to use a mobile app 3 times per day for 3 weeks that delivered brief mindfulness exercises or a mood monitoring-only control. Participants reported on rumination, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms at baseline, post-intervention and at 3 follow-up timepoints: 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months post-intervention. Parents reported on internalizing symptoms. Results There was a significant Time X Condition effect at post-intervention for rumination, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, such that participants in the mindfulness intervention showed improvements relative to those in the control condition. The effect for rumination lasted through the 6-week follow-up period; however, group differences were generally not observed throughout the follow-up period, which may indicate that continued practice is needed for gains to be maintained. Conclusions This intervention may have the potential to prevent the development of psychopathology and should be tested in a longitudinal study assessing affective disorder onset, especially in populations with limited access to conventional, in person mental health care. This study was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier NCT03900416).