Application Of Mindfulness Research Articles

1.112 Exploring the Effects of Mindfulness Application Use on Emotional Regulation in the Residential Treatment of Adolescents With Substance Use Disorder and Anxiety: A Pilot Study

While research on mindfulness and mental health continues to accumulate, studies on the use of mindfulness apps in residential treatment for adolescents with substance use disorders are limited. This study reports on a pilot integrating the use of one such app in one treatment center.

Use of Mobile Apps and Online Programs of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Training in Workers: A Scoping Review.

Mindfulness and self-compassion interventions are two strategies helpful in preventing and reducing burnout and work stress. However, professionals with overburdened schedules can experience obstacles in learning and practicing these interventions, originally taught with lengthy programs. The use of digital technologies could make these interventions more accessible to workers, as studied in a recent, growing body of evidence. The evidence available is diverse in terms of interventions, designs, outcomes, and populations. This calls for a review that can take into consideration this diversity while still rigorously synthesize it. Scoping reviews are designed to examine emerging evidence and summarize the evidence on a specific topic of interest. The present scoping review aims to assess the current state of the literature on the use of online programs and mobile applications of self-compassion, mindfulness, and meditation (digital mindfulness-based interventions; dMBIs) by workers. More specifically, information on the type of intervention, population, advantages, and disadvantages, measured outcomes, and advice for future research are gathered. MEDLINE (PubMed; Ovid), PsychInfo (Ovid), and Web of Science (Clarivate) were searched to identify all relevant articles. The screening process resulted in 56 articles being included in this scoping review. Inclusion criteria were (1) participants are workers; (2) the intervention is individual, digital, and mindfulness/self-compassion/meditation-based; and (3) articles were available in French or English language at the time of the review. Interventions used were mostly mindfulness-based, equally categorized under web-based and app-based interventions. Most interventions included information on mindfulness, meditation or self-compassion, meditation exercises, other types of exercises, instructions on how to use, and reminders. dMBIs are often studied in the healthcare population and predominantly in female samples. Although dMBIs present advantages (low cost, accessibility, practicality, feasibility), obstacles can arise in their implementation (low engagement and motivation, concerns about confidentiality). Included articles measured outcomes related to work, mindfulness or self-compassion, and other psychological variables (stress/anxiety, depression, resilience, wellbeing). Articles provided important directions to further research on dMBIs regarding methodological aspects, modality and intervention, and individual and organizational questions. dMBIs are becoming more popular and interventions are diverse. Although not without limitations, this scoping provided a synthesis on different aspects of the use of dMBIs within workers and highlighted pertinent future research directions.

Effects of mobile mindfulness training on mental health of employees: A CONSORT-compliant pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background:Employee stress and well-being affect organizational efficiency and productivity, as well as physical and psychological health of employees. Mindfulness is believed to reduce stress, prevent diseases, and promote well-being. Mindfulness has been used as the main component of various smartphone-based healthcare applications. Previous studies have suggested that mindfulness applications have a positive effect on employee stress and mental health. However, relatively few randomized controlled trials have examined the effectiveness of mindfulness applications on employees. This study aims to evaluate whether mobile mindfulness training (MMT) as a stress self-management tool improves employees’ perceived stress, subjective well-being, and Mibyeong, a condition that is not a disease but shows obvious health abnormalities.Methods:Participants were recruited through advertisements displayed at 3 workplaces, including a patent attorney’s office, a construction company, and a public relations firm. A total of 45 employees were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: the MMT group (Group A) receiving smartphone application-based mindfulness training, and a wait-list control (WLC) group (Group B), who received no intervention. Group A employees conducted MMT following daily and event guidelines for 4 weeks. In contrast, Group B employees did not receive any intervention in that time. The outcome variables were perceived stress, subjective well-being, and Mibyeong. Surveys were conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up (fourth week post-intervention).Results:Demographic characteristics and baseline assessments were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The results of this study revealed that subjective well-being and Mibyeong were significantly improved in the MMT group compared with the WLC group. Moreover, this improvement was maintained up to at least 4 weeks later. However, perceived stress was not significantly reduced in the MMT group compared to the WLC group.Conclusion:Four weeks of MMT improved the subjective well-being and Mibyeong of employees. However, further studies are required to investigate the effect of MMT on other areas of mental health.

Mindfulness in Surgical Care, Training, and Practice.

There exists a robust amount of evidence supporting the broad application of mindfulness in a clinical environment. The evolution of mindfulness research is germane to modern surgical practice and education given its impact on patient outcomes, cognitive function, surgical skill, and mental health and wellbeing. "Mindfulness in surgical care, training, and practice" includes a series of articles that highlight the theoretical rationale behind mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for optimization of patient care and define its role in surgical education and practice. Furthermore, each article offers implementation strategies and best practices such that mindfulness-based interventions and curricula can be adapted to meet the unique needs of patients and providers existing within a diverse surgical environment. This series brings attention to the evolving archetype of surgical culture - one in which the wellbeing of individuals and communities is emphasized as fundamental to optimum patient care and outcomes.

The role of mindfulness in the management of projects: Potential opportunities in research and practice

Mindfulness is receiving growing attention in the project management community, probably due its proven beneficial effects at individual, team and organization levels in other management domains. Indeed, 80% of the 50 publications identified in this paper were published over the last decade. This review addresses the disparate extant publications related to mindfulness in the field of project management to date and seeks to establish how mindfulness is studied in the management of projects. We first recall the two historical schools of thought, their respective perspective on mindfulness and highlight a recent, reconciling conceptualization of the mindfulness construct termed meta-cognitive practice. Next, we review existing project management works that have included mindfulness theory and categorize them into six main research themes. Project management scholars have studied mindfulness as an enabler of (1) high reliability project organizing, (2) change and innovation, (3) agility and flexibility, (4) mindfulness-based behaviours to be compared with routine-based ones, (5) project actors and project team self-regulation, and (6) megaprojects performance. Third, we provide an overall framework of how mindfulness may benefit the project management field, together with an overall discussion of issues to be addressed. Last, we provide research avenues to foster future research in each of the identified themes. In sum, as the first review on the application of mindfulness in project management research, we contribute to the understanding of how mindfulness can contribute to overall project performance.

Mindfulness as taught in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: A scoping review.

This scoping review considers 11 studies that have focussed on the effect of teaching the mindfulness element of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) on clinical outcomes. These articles utilized either mindfulness skills as embedded into the full DBT-Skills programme or a stand-alone mindfulness skills module (DBT-M), as treatment for clinical populations. The review of the research found that clinical application of mindfulness as taught in DBT leads to increases in self-reported mindfulness-especially non-judgemental awareness along with psychological measures that suggests an increase in mindfulness, for example, improved attention. The studies demonstrated that an increase in mindfulness had a positive effect on some clinical symptoms such as symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. Not all of the studies controlled for the effect of group, amount of practice or other elements of DBT therapy. The findings suggest that more needs to be done to establish the underlying mechanisms of change when being taught mindfulness in DBT.

Desarrollo de la creatividad. Una guía básica para psicólogos

The present work seeks to increase the interest of psychologists to promote the creativity of people, in the specialties of Organizational, Clinical, and Educational psychology. He highlights the application of mindfulness and recommends learning about “lateral thinking” useful for creative problem solving. The document is mainly oriented for students of the professional career of psychology

Mediating Mindfulness-Based Interventions with Virtual Reality in Non-Clinical Populations: The State-of-the-Art.

Mindfulness is one of the most popular psychotherapeutic techniques that help to promote good mental and physical health. Combining mindfulness with immersive virtual reality (VR) has been proven to be especially effective for a wide range of mood disorders for which traditional mindfulness has proven valuable. However, the vast majority of immersive VR-enhanced mindfulness applications have focused on clinical settings, with little evidence on healthy subjects. This narrative review evaluates the real effectiveness of state-of-the-art mindfulness interventions mediated by VR systems in influencing mood and physiological status in non-clinical populations. Only studies with an RCT study design were considered. We conclude that most studies were characterized by one single meditation experience, which seemed sufficient to induce a significant reduction in negative mood states (anxiety, anger, depression, tension) combined with increased mindfulness skills. However, physiological correlates of mindfulness practices have scarcely been investigated. The application of VR-enhanced mindfulness-based interventions in non-clinical populations is in its infancy since most studies have several limitations, such as the poor employment of the RCT study design, the lack of physiological measurements (i.e., heart rate variability), as well as the high heterogeneity in demographical data, technological devices, and VR procedures. We thus concluded that before applying mindfulness interventions mediated by VR in clinical populations, more robust and reliable methodological procedures need to be defined.

Incorporating Digital Interventions into Mental Health Clinical Practice: a Pilot Survey of How Use Patterns, Barriers, and Opportunities Shifted for Clinicians in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Although many digital mental health interventions are available, clinicians do not routinely use them in clinical practice. In this pilot survey, we review the factors that supported the rapid transition to televisits during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we explore the barriers that continue to prevent clinicians from using other digital mental health interventions, such as mindfulness applications, mood trackers, and digital therapy programs. We conducted a pilot survey of mental health clinicians in different practice environments in the USA. Survey respondents (n = 51) were primarily psychiatrists working in academic medical centers. Results indicated that systemic factors, including workplace facilitation and insurance reimbursement, were primary reasons motivating clinicians to use televisits to provide remote patient care. The shift to televisits during the pandemic was not accompanied by increased use of other digital mental health interventions in patient care. Nine clinicians reported that they have never used digital interventions with patients. Among the 42 clinicians who did report some experience using digital interventions, the majority reported no change in the use of digital applications since transitioning to televisits. Our preliminary findings lend insight into the perspective of mental health clinicians regarding the factors that supported their transition to televisits, including institutional support and insurance reimbursement, and indicate that this shift to virtual patient care has not been accompanied by increased use of other digital mental health interventions. We contend that the same systemic factors that supported the shift toward virtual visits in the COVID-19 pandemic may be applied to support the incorporation of other digital interventions in mental healthcare.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41347-022-00260-8.

Mindfulness: Unpacking its three shades and illuminating integrative ways to understand the construct

AbstractOver time mindfulness research and practice has taken on diverse basic assumptions and theoretical traditions, and the pseudo‐scientific use of the term has become more prevalent. Given the ubiquitousness of both personal and professional applications of mindfulness, the need for a thorough understanding of its theoretical cornerstones is necessary. In this review, we use bibliometric techniques to uncover the field's intellectual roots (Study 1), and document bibliographic coupling analysis to illuminate current research avenues across management disciplines (Study 2). Our bibliometric process covers 48 references for co‐citation and 238 articles for bibliographic coupling analyses, respectively, published between 2012 and 2020. Co‐citation analysis reveals a shift of focus from the past two historical mindfulness schools of thought (Eastern and Western) to a novel intellectual structure of the mindfulness field articulated around three distinct yet overlapping research streams. We propose integrative ways to advance mindfulness research by unpacking mindfulness processes, dimensions and development, arguing that the integration of these three main foci is necessary to advance understanding of mindfulness. Bibliometric coupling analysis identifies eight management‐related mindfulness research themes. We discuss the extent to which these eight themes have comparably explored the three foci (mindfulness processes, dimensions and development) highlighted in our model. Lastly, we use our theory‐driven review to draw on under‐developed areas of research, identifying profitable directions for future research on mindfulness in the workplace and beyond.

Psychedelic Experiences and Mindfulness are Associated with Improved Wellbeing

ABSTRACT Both psychedelics and mindfulness are recently emerging topics of interest in academia and popular culture. The Prevalence of personal meditation practices and recreational psychedelic use has consistently increased in the past decade. While clinical work has shown both to improve long-term wellbeing, data on naturalistic applications of psychedelics and mindfulness are lacking. The current study examined the relationship between psychedelic use, mindfulness, and multi-faceted wellbeing as an outcome. Hierarchical regression was used to quantify these associations on a sample of people (N = 1,219) who engage in both meditation practices and psychedelic use. Results show that both mindfulness and mystical experiences are associated with substantial increases in wellbeing. Psychedelics were found to be a moderator of the relationship between mystical experience wellbeing. These data are among the first to establish a strong relationship between personal mindfulness practice, recreational psychedelic use, and overall psychological wellbeing in a naturalistic framework.

Mindfulness and Motivation in Self-Transformation: Thich Nhat Hanh’s Teachings on the Interbeing

Abstract This paper aims to explore the relationship of mindfulness and motivation in self-transformation based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. It discusses mind and meditation, the application and impact of mindfulness on body and mind, the Buddhist’s roots of motivation in meditation, the dynamics of motivation in mindfulness practice and Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on interbeing. He argues that it is not necessary to hold the original Buddhist intention with the goal to attain enlightenment when practicing mindfulness because mindfulness is not only a means but also an end in itself. My discussion will highlight this interconnectedness of mindfulness and motivation where one’s motivation can affect mindfulness and mindfulness practice can further shape one’s motivation. The continuous practice of mindfulness has the ability to develop one’s motivation to change one’s mental state and life perspective, as the transformation will occur when the mind becomes more aware and more insightful.

A Mindfulness Application for Reducing Prenatal Stress.

IntroductionUp to 40% of patients report depression or anxiety symptoms in pregnancy; feelings of increased stress are nearly universal. Antepartum stress is linked to adverse outcomes including preterm birth, low birthweight, postpartum depression, and maternal self harm. Unfortunately, limited treatment options exist, and patients are often hesitant to initiate medications prenatally. Thus, the development of efficacious nonpharmacologic interventions is crucial. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and impact of an application (app)‐based mindfulness practice, begun in the first trimester, on maternal stress and pregnancy outcomes.MethodsThe study enrolled patients prior to 15 weeks’ gestation and followed them prospectively through birth. Patients were provided with a free subscription to Expectful, a commercially available prenatal mindfulness app, and asked to complete daily meditations. Patients completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) self‐assessment at 15 weeks and 28 weeks. PSS scores and pregnancy outcomes were compared with a historical control group of pregnant people who did not use the app.ResultsOf 68 patients approached, 59 consented to enrollment. Of these, 21 used the app, with an average use of 170 minutes (range, 1.3‐1315 min). The average PSS score was significantly lower in the app group at 28 weeks. Additionally, the change in PSS score for app users was greater compared with that of the historical control between enrollment and 28 weeks (−6.3 vs −0.95, P = .0008). Pregnancy outcomes were similar for app users and the historical control.DiscussionOur recruitment rate suggests pregnant patients are eager for a nonmedication intervention to decrease stress. However, adherence after enrollment was limited. For a subset of motivated patients, an app‐based mindfulness practice significantly reduced perceived stress between the second and third trimesters compared with non‐app users. Prenatal mindfulness apps represent an important low‐intervention, low‐cost, highly accessible tool for managing perinatal mood and stress.

Collective mindfulness: Somatic attention to group and self in meditation practice in Israel

Mindfulness is commonly portrayed as a solitary practice in which one turns attention inward to notice feelings, thoughts and sensations that arise in the mind and body. Yet the training and practice of mindfulness often take place in a group setting, indicating that the process of turning inward is dependent on an intersubjective space. Based on an extended ethnography of Israelis who train in body‐based mindfulness in the context of Vipassana meditation practice, we analyze collective mindfulness spaces, including group sittings, virtual group sittings and the use of mindfulness applications. We show that mindfulness offers a unique kind of togetherness. It opposes direct social engagement while still offering a supportive social space where others move from an audience to bodily co‐dwellers. We track the tensions in replicating this form of togetherness in virtual settings, where, paradoxically, the physical distance ends up exposing people's social identities while still limiting embodied synchronization. We illustrate how the social spaces of mindfulness serve as liminoid sanctuaries beyond everyday social‐interactive life, providing relief from the political and economic stress in which Israelis live.

Development of the Applied Mindfulness Process Scale as a Process Evaluation Measure for Mindfulness Practice in a Chinese Context.

With the rising popularity of mindfulness practice, it is necessary and crucial to evaluate mindfulness using comprehensive and objective measures. The instruments to assess mindfulness in China mainly evaluate mindfulness as a state or trait mode. Few process measures have been developed to clarify effective therapy benefits of the alterations obtained using mindfulness practice. Therefore, this study aims to adapt the Applied Mindfulness Process Scale (AMPS) into Mandarin and explore in detail the reliability and validity of this novel-translated measure. Following cross-cultural modification for original AMPS into Mandarin as per established guidelines, psychometric evaluation was performed on a cohort of 234 Chinese adults. Construct validity was analyzed through exploratory factor analysis (n = 115), together with confirmatory factor analysis (n = 119). Reliability was assessed by internal consistency together with test-retest reliability. Findings indicated that the internal consistency was high, with Cronbach’s alpha being 0.936. The principal component analysis led to a three-factor structure that explained 67.374% of all variations. The three-factor model was consistent with the original scale model. Based upon confirmatory factor analyses, all fitting indices satisfied the standard, which showed a close fit to the data. Therefore, the newly multi-culturally modified AMPS has sufficient validity, test-retest reliability, together with internal consistency. Chinese AMPS may offer researchers and clinicians a psychometrically optimized tool for evaluating the application of mindfulness and change process within mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in Mainland China.

Mindful Application of Digitalization for Sustainable Development: The Digitainability Assessment Framework

Digitalization is widely recognized as a transformative power for sustainable development. Careful alignment of progress made by digitalization with the globally acknowledged Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is crucial for inclusive and holistic sustainable development in the digital era. However, limited reference has been made in SDGs about harnessing the opportunities offered by digitalization capabilities. Moreover, research on inhibiting or enabling effects of digitalization considering its multi-faceted interlinkages with the SDGs and their targets is fragmented. There are only limited instances in the literature examining and categorizing the impact of digitalization on sustainable development. To overcome this gap, this paper introduces a new Digitainability Assessment Framework (DAF) for context-aware practical assessment of the impact of the digitalization intervention on the SDGs. The DAF facilitates in-depth assessment of the many diverse technical, social, ethical, and environmental aspects of a digital intervention by systematically examining its impact on the SDG indicators. Our approach draws on and adapts concepts of the Theory of Change (ToC). The DAF should support developers, users as well policymakers by providing a 360-degree perspective on the impact of digital services or products, as well as providing hints for its possible improvement. We demonstrate the application of the DAF with the three test case studies illustrating how it supports in providing a holistic view of the relation between digitalization and SDGs.

Applied Mindfulness for Physician Wellbeing: A Prospective Qualitative Study Protocol.

BackgroundPhysician burnout has significant adverse impacts on the wellbeing of individual physicians, and by extension the healthcare delivery systems of which they are part. Mindfulness is consistently cited as a pragmatic approach to effectively address burnout and enhance physician wellbeing. However, very few empirical studies have been published on Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) for physicians. Moreover, the majority of these studies have been quantitative, leaving a gap in understanding the practical application of mindfulness in the context of physicians' daily lives.ObjectivesThis paper outlines the rationale, development and design of a novel prospective qualitative study examining the acceptability, feasibility, and pragmatic application of a mindfulness intervention for physician wellness.MethodsThe study will be conducted in three groups of at least 8 practicing physicians from a broad range of medical specialties at a tertiary care hospital in a large urban center in Eastern Canada. The intervention will consist of an innovative program based on the teachings of internationally renowned scholar and Zen Master Thích Nhãt Hạnh. It will include 5 weekly 2-h mindfulness sessions delivered by two health providers trained in mindfulness and in the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. The primary outcome measure will be an in-depth Thematic Analysis of post-program semi-structured interviews. Field data will also be collected through participant observation. The study will be theoretically grounded within the interpretive paradigm utilizing “the Mechanisms of Mindfulness Theory”. An external advisory committee formed by four senior members of Thích Nhãt Hạnh's community will provide guidance across all phases of the study.DiscussionOur innovative approach provides a new framework to further understand the mechanisms by which mindfulness interventions can impact physician wellbeing, and by extension their patients, colleagues, and broader healthcare systems. Through a clear articulation of the rigorous application of accepted procedures and standards used in our protocol, this paper seeks to provide a roadmap for other researchers who wish to develop further studies in this area. Lessons learned in the preparation and conduction of this study can be applied to other healthcare contexts including non-physician health provider wellbeing, clinical care, and population-level mental health.

How could mindfulness help? a perspective on the applications of mindfulness in enhancing tomorrow's workplace

Mindfulness has emerged as one of the major strategies for the well-being of employees in the current corporate world. As the workspace continues to evolve due to technological and structural advancement, employees face difficulty coping and lack the desired agility. The present study is a systematic review of around a hundred scientific papers and various books and business research articles from the period of 2000–2021 focusing on mindfulness and employee wellness research from various journals such as Jama Psychiatry, Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being, journals from Frontier Psychology and Emerald Publications, and others. The study aims to explore mindfulness and its applications across various vocational sectors, with particular emphasis on its potential relevance to the Indian population. The study also discusses the evolution of mindfulness, its implications for improving work culture and leadership, and its application in various workplaces. As there are very few mindfulness-based studies conducted on the Indian working population, the present study helps to bridge the gap and recommends future studies to be conducted on the Indian population to establish concrete scientific evidence on the possible impact of mindfulness on employees' vocational lives. The paper makes a unique contribution by analyzing the potential for enhancement through mindfulness in various vocational sectors and also identifies a strong scope for research in the emerging areas of corporate agility and robot-assisted interventions.

Evaluating the effects of a mindfulness mobile application on student pharmacists' stress, burnout, and mindfulness.

Pharmacists report high levels of burnout. Mindfulness approaches have been demonstrated to have positive results in the general population and in other healthcare professions. However, limited studies have been performed evaluating mindfulness approaches in student pharmacists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of daily use of a mindfulness mobile application in improving student pharmacists' perceived stress, burnout, and mindfulness. This study was a randomized, longitudinal, waitlist-controlled trial. The intervention group was asked to meditate using the mindfulness application Headspace daily for at least 6 weeks. The waitlist control group was asked to abstain from using the application for the entire study. Stress, burnout, and mindfulness were assessed using validated survey instruments at baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks. A secondary outcome was to assess the persistence of application use after the intervention period. Fifty-six participants completed the study. The intervention group reported significantly lower scores on stress and burnout at 6 weeks compared to the control group. The intervention group also reported significantly higher scores on mindfulness. The differences in stress, burnout, and mindfulness persisted at follow-up. The mean percentage of students in the intervention group who used the application each day was 90% over the intervention period and 62% over the follow-up period. A mindfulness mobile application significantly improved student pharmacists' stress, burnout, and mindfulness with daily use. Most participants continued to use the application for 4 weeks after the end of the intervention. Positive effects on stress and mindfulness persisted even with decreased use.

Using a Digital Meditation Application to Mitigate Anxiety and Sleep Problems in Children with ADHD

Objective: ADHD affects 11% of children in the United States and is associated with significant levels of anxiety. Although the literature supports mindfulness-based interventions as a promising strategy for managing anxiety, it falls short in the feasibility of digital mindfulness interventions. Method: This study investigated the usefulness of the pediatric version of Headspace, a digital mindfulness program, for reducing stress in 18 children with ADHD. We conducted a 4-week pilot study to evaluate the Headspace digital mindfulness application for children ages 6 to 12 with ADHD. Parents completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire at baseline and endpoint. Results: Participants had an average age of 9.2 years and were 78% male. The Headspace intervention significantly reduced anxiety and sleep problems in children with ADHD. Conclusion: Children with ADHD and comorbid anxiety and/or sleep problems could benefit from a digitally based meditation application. (J. of Att. Dis. XXXX; XX(X) XX-XX)