Mindfulness Meditation Intervention Research Articles

A brief mindfulness meditation can ameliorate the effects of exposure to idealised social media images on self-esteem, mood, and body appreciation in young women: An online randomised controlled experiment

The study examined whether a 10-minute mindfulness meditation intervention could ameliorate effects of exposure to social media thinspiration and fitspiration images on women’s self-esteem, mood, and body appreciation. A total of 162 women aged 18–42 years (M = 25.94, SD = 4.38) completed an online experiment which involved viewing thinspiration and fitspiration images before random allocation to either a brief, ten-minute mindfulness meditation audio intervention or a ten-minute control audio about jujitsu. Participants completed self-reported measures of self-esteem, positive and negative mood, and body appreciation at baseline (Time 1), post-exposure to idealised social media images (Time 2), and immediately post-intervention (Time 3). Mixed, repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that scores were lower for body appreciation, self-esteem, and positive mood, and higher for negative mood, in both groups after exposure to idealised imagery. However, a brief mindfulness intervention ameliorated the negative effects of social media exposure. Specifically, self-esteem, body appreciation, and mood were higher in the mindfulness meditation group at Time 3, compared to the control group. Future interventions should explore the utility of mindfulness practices to provide long term buffering effects against such social media content, as well as targeting the idealisation of female physiques portrayed in thinspiration and fitspiration content.

Intervention of mindfulness meditation on self loss and OCD of personnel in service industry of foreign trade

BackgroundObsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a unique anxiety disorder characterized by repetitive or constantly invading thoughts, viewpoints, or images, as well as ritualized behaviors aimed at alleviating the anxiety caused by these thoughts and images. OCD may affect an individual’s life and social functions. This study started with the self-depletion and obsessive-compulsive disorder of personnel in the comprehensive service industry of foreign trade and analyzed the intervention effect of mindfulness meditation on patients.Subjects and MethodsThis study selected 164 individuals from the OCD foreign trade comprehensive service industry as the research subjects. The subjects were divided into two groups, with 84 in the loss group receiving traditional intervention and 84 in the control group receiving mindfulness meditation intervention. The experiment adopts a dual-task paradigm. Task 1 uses the Chinese version of the E-crossing task as the self-control task, and Task 2 uses the Stroop task as the detection task. Subjective questionnaires and Stroop scores are used to examine whether E-crossing can effectively trigger self-loss.ResultsResearch has shown that completing a 6-minute Chinese version of an E-crossing task can effectively induce loss; Subjectively, the subjects in the loss group believe that the task is more difficult than the control group, and their scores in objective tests are significantly lower than those in the control group.ConclusionsIn summary, the compensation effect of mindfulness audio intervention on loss is better than that of relaxation training and other rest interventions at the same time. It is a universal, economical and convenient method for compensating loss and treating OCD among personnel in the foreign trade comprehensive service industry.

Using Meditation to Reduce Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Nursing Students.

Nursing students experience higher rates of mental health issues than other college students. This study examined the effect of a mindfulness meditation intervention on nursing students' levels of self-reported depression, stress, and anxiety. This randomized, experimental study implemented an online mindfulness meditation intervention for an experimental group of nursing students and provided nursing news modules for a control group of nursing students. Participants in experimental and control groups completed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale online before and after completing 4 weeks of audio modules. Results showed a statistically significant decrease in reported scores for depression, stress, and anxiety in the experimental group. This study demonstrated the potential benefits of implementing an online mindfulness meditation intervention to support and improve mental health for nursing students. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(8):443-449.].

Brief mindfulness meditation intervention improves attentional control of athletes in virtual reality shooting competition: Evidence from fNIRS and eye tracking

Attentional control is a crucial cognitive ability for sports performance. The current research aimed to investigate whether a brief (20-min) pre-competition mindfulness meditation (MM) intervention enhances athletes' attentional control during competitions and alters the activity of brain regions related to attentional control. We created a virtual reality shooting competition to compare the eye-gaze indicators and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) parameters of 78 university athletes after 20 min of MM or 20 min of mind wandering (MW). Participants’ average fixation durations (AFDs) on task-relevant information (targets) were significantly longer in the MM group. In contrast, both average fixation counts (AFCs) and AFDs on task-irrelevant information (the ranking screen) were significantly lower in the MM group than in the MW group. Additionally, the MM group exhibited significantly stronger activation of the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) as well as higher levels of oxygenated haemoglobin [HbO] and greater functional connectivity (FC) of the right dlPFC, which was considered evidence of recruitment for attentional control. Moreover, the MM group achieved significantly better shooting performance than the MW group. Overall, the findings suggest that one session 20-min MM practice pre-competition facilitates focus during competition and improves athletic performance. We recommend the application of brief mindfulness practice in sports, especially in closed-skill sports that require high attention participation (e.g., shooting, archery, darts, golf, gymnastics, skating etc.).

The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Nursing Students' Stress and Anxiety Levels.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a virtual mindfulness meditation intervention on stress and anxiety levels of 145 nursing students. Because of the twin demands of classroom and clinical workloads, nursing students experience greater amounts of stress and anxiety than the average college student. Mindfulness meditation is a promising method to alleviate stress and anxiety. A pretest-posttest randomized controlled design was used. Participants received either weekly mindfulness meditation recordings or recordings on nursing information. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale. A two-way mixed analysis of variance and follow-up simple main effects tests revealed that participants in the experimental group, who received meditation recordings, experienced significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety on posttest surveys than the control group. Mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and anxiety levels in nursing students. This can improve students' overall mental and physical well-being.

Stress reduction for paid home care aides: A feasibility study of mindfulness meditation and Tai Chi interventions

ABSTRACT Evidence of effective self-care strategies to support Home Care Aides’ (HCAs) mental health is limited. This study compares the feasibility of implementing one of two non-clinical, evidence-based stress-reduction treatments: mindful awareness practices (MAPs) meditation versus Korean-style Tai Chi. Program effectiveness was assessed on a range of self-reported health and mental health quantitative outcomes at three time-points. Both groups showed statistically significant improvements in depression, insomnia, and negative affect during the six weeks (all p. <0.05), but only the MAPs group demonstrated a sustained improvement in negative affect at three-month follow-up (p. <0.05). At three-month follow-up, 55% of Tai Chi participants continued practicing learned techniques, compared to 75% of MAPs participants. MAPs were found to be more practical and amenable to integration in daily life compared to Tai Chi. Showing positive results on both feasibility and effectiveness assessment, MAPs were chosen over Tai Chi to be scaled as a benefit to HCAs.

Effects of Mobile Mindfulness Meditation on the Mental Health of University Students: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Mobile mindfulness meditation (MMM) is a mindfulness meditation intervention implemented using mobile devices such as smartphones and apps. MMM has been used to help manage the mental health of university students. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of MMM on the mental health of university students in the areas of stress, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, well-being, and resilience. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of MMM on the mental health of university students. This study followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. An electronic literature search was performed on PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases, from inception to July 16, 2021. This study was conducted to identify studies that reported the effects of MMM on the primary outcomes including stress, anxiety, and depression, and on the secondary outcomes including mindfulness, well-being, and resilience. Two reviewers retrieved articles, evaluated quality, and extracted data independently. The methodological quality of the selected studies was determined using the Cochrane criteria for risk-of-bias assessment. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) for continuous outcomes and risk ratios for dichotomous outcomes were calculated. Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were performed for results with high heterogeneity. The RevMan version 5.3 was used to perform meta-analysis. A total of 10 studies, including 958 university students, were selected for this meta-analysis. Results of the primary outcome showed that the MMM groups were more effective than the control groups in decreasing stress (SMD -0.41, 95% CI -0.59 to -0.23; P<.001) and alleviating anxiety (SMD -0.29, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.09; P=.004). However, there was no difference between the MMM groups and the control groups in depression (SMD -0.14, 95% CI -0.30 to 0.03; P=.11). The use of either waitlist control or traditional face-to-face intervention in the control group was identified as the source of heterogeneity. Specifically, the waitlist control subgroup (SMD -0.33, 95% CI -0.53 to -0.13; P=.002) was superior when compared with the face-to-face subgroup (SMD 0.29, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.59; P=.06). Results of the secondary outcome showed that the MMM groups were more effective than the control groups in enhancing well-being (SMD 0.30, 95% CI 0.11-0.50; P=.003) and improving mindfulness (SMD 2.66, 95% CI 0.77-4.55; P=.006). Whether commercial sponsorship was obtained was considered as the source of heterogeneity. The "without company support" group (SMD 17.60, 95% CI 11.32-23.87; P<.001) was superior to the "with company support" group (SMD 1.17, 95% CI -0.82 to 3.15; P=.25) in raising the level of mindfulness. However, there was no difference between the MMM and control groups in resilience (SMD -0.06, 95% CI -0.26 to 0.15; P=.59). The evidence level of the results from the 10 studies was determined to be moderate to low. MMM was an effective method to reduce stress and anxiety, and to increase the well-being and mindfulness of university students. However, further studies are needed to confirm our findings. PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42022303585; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=303585.

Mindfulness meditation intervention improves the mindfulness awareness level of nurses' second victims to enhance their psychological support.

The medical staff involved in adverse events, referred to as second victims, usually suffer second victim syndrome endangering their health. Still, there are few organizational support projects in this area in China. To explore the effect of mindfulness meditation on the level and needs of organizational support, and mindfulness awareness among nurses as second victims. Forty-six nurses from a comprehensive tertiary hospital in Wuhan, China were selected to participate in the study. This study was conducted using a convenience sampling method for eight weeks of mindfulness meditation intervention. The Second Victim Experience and Support Tool and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale were used to assessing the need for support and mindfulness awareness of nurses prior to intervention, during the fourth and eighth weeks of intervention, and at the conclusion of the intervention course. The difference between the scores measured before the intervention, in the fourth week, and in the eighth week of intervention showed that the need for the second victim support from work-related organizations was significant (F = 34.513, p = .000); there was no significant difference in the scores related to the need for nonwork-related support of the second victim in the participating nurses (F = 1.373, p = .257); the scores of the level of mindfulness awareness were (64.85 ± 11.41), (68.63 ± 11.33), and (71.20 ± 8.41), a significant difference (F = 18.848; p = .000) was found in terms of before and after the intervention; nurses' second victim support needs gradually shifted from evasion to confronting problems appropriately. Mindfulness meditation intervention is applicable to the second victim population of nurses. It is an effective way to support second victim nurses and can effectively improve their level of mindfulness and awareness.

Effects of a Brief Mindfulness Intervention on Perceived Stress, Affect, and Trait Mindfulness in College Students

The current study was interested in the effects of a quick mindfulness meditation intervention on college students perceived stress, affect, and trait mindfulness. Students were placed into the following three groups: Silent Meditation (n = 16), Guided Meditation (n = 12), Control (No Meditation; n = 72). Each experimental group took part in a four-week mindfulness meditation intervention comprised of one session per week. Students perceived stress, affect, and trait mindfulness were measured pre-intervention, during the intervention, and post-intervention. Perceived stress was measured using the Student Stress Inventory and the College Stress Scale, affect was measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and mindfulness was measured using the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills. As predicted, students in the silent meditation group reported a statistically significant decrease in perceived stress over the four weeks and an increase in trait mindfulness. Although not statistically significant, the guided meditation also reported a decrease in perceived stress and increase in mindfulness. Results suggest that a short mindfulness intervention may be useful in helping college students deal with stressors of college life.

Reducing Stress Among College Students: Mindfulness Meditation Versus Adult Coloring

College students report a wide variety of stressors including academic difficulties, uncertainty about future career plans, conflict with roommates, family pressure, and financial worries (Aselton, 2012). It is important to research not only stress reduction interventions for college students, but also effective ways to disseminate these programs to students, especially given how busy they are. The purpose of this study was to compare a brief two-week peer-delivered mindfulness meditation intervention with an adult coloring intervention and a psychoeducation intervention that consisted of general stress reduction tips. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three intervention conditions. Participants’ levels of stress, psychological distress, anxiety, and mindfulness were measured via pre-and post-treatment assessments (online self-report surveys). All interactions with participants were conducted remotely through Zoom and email. Participants were 74 General Psychology students who enrolled via Sona Systems, a participant pool management system, as part of their class participation. Researchers found that all three interventions were equally beneficial in reducing stress and psychological distress among college students. Both the mindfulness and psychoeducation interventions led to significant decreases in anxiety compared to the adult coloring intervention. Contrary to expectations, the psychoeducation intervention showed significant increases in mindfulness compared to the adult coloring and mindfulness interventions. Mindfulness meditation, adult coloring, and psychoeducation all show the potential to be effective in helping college students manage their stress.

Effects of attentional control, mindfulness, and distraction skills on college students’ depressive tendencies

This study examined the effects of distraction on college students’ depressive tendencies caused by interpersonal stress, focusing on attentional control, mindfulness, and distraction skills. We conducted a web-based survey of college students (N=267; mean age=19.66 years, SD=1.40) that administered scales assessing attention control, mindfulness, distraction skill, and depressive tendencies. An analysis of covariance was conducted to examine a model in which attentional control alleviates depressive tendencies by increasing mindfulness, which influences distraction skills. Multiple regression analyses of attentional control and mindfulness effects on distractor skills revealed that “Non-reactivity” in mindfulness affects distraction skills. In contrast, “observing” promoted reliance on distraction, suggesting that increased mindfulness and attentional control are essential to prevent dependence on distraction. Future studies need to implement mindfulness meditation interventions to increase attentional control and mindfulness and elaborate changes in each variable and the relationships among the variables.

The effect of mindfulness meditation on the perceived duration of pain

ABSTRACT Non-drug therapies for pain treatment are becoming increasingly popular. In particular, Mindfulness Meditation (MM) interventions have been found to be effective at reducing the perceived intensity of pain. However, the extent to which MM alters other elements of pain experience (e.g. perceived duration of pain) remains unclear. The current study therefore investigated the effect MM on the temporal dimension of pain by establishing whether MM could reduce its perceived duration. In a two-session experiment, participants were asked to verbally estimate the duration of a series of painful electro-cutaneous, non-painful tactile and neutral visual stimulations before and after practicing a 1-week MM (or control) intervention. Contrary to expectations, the results did not show evidence that MM is effective in reducing the perceived duration of experimental pain. The effects of MM on pain experience do not therefore appear to extend to pain’s temporal dimension.

Feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of a mobile mindfulness meditation intervention to improve sleep quality among a racially/ethnically diverse population

ObjectivesTo evaluate the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of using a mindfulness meditation mobile application to improve sleep quality among a diverse group of adults. MethodsThis explanatory qualitative study used online focus group discussions (N = 4 groups with 17 individuals) to collect information about user experiences with a mindfulness meditation mobile application (Headspace) among participants enrolled in the MINDS study. A rapid analyses approach was used to descriptively compare motivators of app use, barriers and facilitators to app use, and perceived tailoring needs across participants. ResultsParticipants on average were 30 years old, 88% female, and identified as Black/African American (52.9%), White (29.4%), Asian (11.8%), and Hispanic (17.6%). All participants felt the app was acceptable and appreciated the ability to personalize their app experience. Individuals with ≥50% intervention adherence (daily use for 30 days) reported being motivated to use the app because it helped them to fall asleep faster, while the remainder of participants used the app to relax throughout the day and faced external barriers to app use (eg, lack of time) and difficulty with app navigation. Only those participants who used the app exclusively in the evenings reported falling asleep faster and staying asleep. Suggestions for tailoring the app differed by race and age. Only Black/African American participants preferred using an instructor based on their race and gender. ConclusionUsing a mobile meditation app to enhance sleep quality is acceptable and feasible, but additional tailoring for Black/African American individuals may improve uptake in this population.

Mindfulness Meditation Interventions for Long COVID: Biobehavioral Gene Expression and Neuroimmune Functioning.

Some individuals infected with SARS CoV-2 have developed Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC) or what has been referred to as Long COVID. Efforts are underway to find effective treatment strategies for those with Long COVID. One possible approach involves alternative medical interventions, which have been widely used to treat and manage symptoms of a variety of medical problems including post-viral infections. Meditation has been found to reduce fatigue and unrefreshing sleep, and for those with post-viral infections, it has enhanced immunity, and reduced inflammatory-driven pathogenesis. Our article summarizes the literature on what is known about mindfulness meditation interventions, and reviews evidence on how it may apply to those with Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Evidence is reviewed suggesting effective and sustainable outcomes may be achieved for symptomatology and underlying pathology of post-viral fatigue (PASC and ME/CFS).

지역사회 노인 대상 마음챙김 명상 중재에 관한 체계적 문헌고찰

Objectives This study is a systematic review that examines the intervention research based on mindfulness meditation for the elderly in the community to confirm the research method and the effects and characteristics of mindfulness meditation. Methods This study is based on the literature published up to February 2022, CPubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL and electronic databases were used overseas, and DBpia, KISS, RISS, NDSL and KMbase were searched in Korea. The final 19 papers were used for analysis based on the selection criteria and exclusion criteria. Results Most of the studies operated intervention programs face-to-face(73.6%), Mainly, an 8-week intervention period study(68.4%) and more than 120 minutes of intervention were provided(47.4%). Mindfulness meditation intervention had positive effects on blood pressure, fatigue, pain, cortisol levels, immunity, stress, and life satisfaction. The results were inconsistent for anxiety, depression, cognitive function, mindfulness, sleep quality, and quality of life. Conclusions This study identified the effects of promoting physical, mental, and social health, including mindfulness meditation intervention studies for the elderly in domestic and foreign communities. It is meaningful in that the proper level of the period and number of times of intervention was presented by analyzing the characteristics of arbitration and matters to be considered when operating the program.

Online Mindfulness Intervention, Mental Health and Attentional Abilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial in University Students During COVID-19 Lockdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to worldwide restrictive measures, raising concerns about mental health in young adults who were not particularly vulnerable to the virus itself. This study investigated the impact of these restrictions on mental and cognitive health of university students, and tested the efficacy of a brief online mindfulness meditation intervention in countering psychological distress and improving attentional abilities. Ninety-six university students forced into remote learning due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and with no experience in meditation were randomly assigned to either a passive control group (n = 48) or to an experimental group (n = 48) following daily, for 17 days, an online mindfulness intervention (10–20 min per day). Due to drop-out, 38 participants in each group were finally analyzed. Pre- and post-tests assessed participants’ mental health (psychological well-being, depression, anxiety, stress) and attentional abilities. The analysis of baseline data in comparison with normative scores and pre-pandemic statistics confirmed the expected psychological distress, but it did not reveal any attentional deficits in our participants. Pre-post change scores analyses showed a reduction in stress (p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.10), anxiety (p = 0.002, ηp2 = 0.13), and depression (p = 0.025, ηp2 = 0.07), and an improvement in well-being (p = 0.013, ηp2 = 0.12) in the experimental group, but not in the control group. In both groups, no significant effect was found on attentional abilities. Our results confirmed the psychological vulnerability of higher education students in the midst of the remote learning period during the second COVID-19 lockdown in France, while suggesting preservation of attentional functioning. Although the tested mindfulness intervention did not enhance the attentional abilities in already good performing students, it did promote their mental health. This study offers additional evidence on the feasibility and efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in students during psychologically straining periods, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Classification of Mindfulness Meditation and Its Impact on Neural Measures in the Clinical Population

Different forms of mindfulness meditation are increasingly integrated in the clinical practice in the last three decades. Previous studies have identified changes in the neurophysiology and neurochemistry of the brain resulting from different mindfulness meditation practices in the general population. However, research on neural correlates of different types of meditation, particularly on the clinical outcomes, is still very sparse. Therefore, the aim of this article is to review the neural impact of mindfulness meditation interventions on different mental disorders via the classification of main components of mindfulness meditation. The clearer classification of mindfulness meditation may inform future clinical practice and research directions.

Enhanced dehydroepiandrosterone levels are positively correlated with N3 sleep stage in long-term mindfulness meditation practitioners.

ObjectivesMeditation practices positively influence the neural, hormonal and autonomic systems. We have demonstrated that long-term practice of mindfulness meditation increases N3 and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stages and bring efficient autonomic modulation during sleep. In the present study, the probable humoral correlation that could bring about these changes is evaluated.Material and MethodsLong-term Vipassana meditators (n=41) and controls (n=24) (males, 30-60 years of age) underwent a two-day consecutive whole night polysomnography recording. During the second day, with exposure to 100Lux brightness, blood was sampled from the antecubital vein between 8-9 PM and in subsequent early morning. Sleep stage was scored as per American Society of Sleep Medicine (ASSM) guidelines for the second-day recording. Sleep-related hormones were estimated - melatonin by radioimmunoassay; dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, growth hormone (GH) and prolactin with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); DHEA/cortisol ratio was calculated. Percentage of sleep stages and hormonal levels were compared between both groups using independent ‘t’ test and Pearson’s correlation was estimated between sleep stages and hormonal levels.ResultsMeditators showed increased N3, REM sleep stages. Though evening cortisol was comparable between the two groups; early morning cortisol, diurnal DHEA and melatonin were significantly higher in meditators. Diurnal DHEA correlated significantly with the N3 sleep stage in meditators.DiscussionHigher diurnal DHEA despite variations in corresponding cortisol in meditators demonstrates that long-term Vipassana meditation practice modulates the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and thereby influences sleep. Thus, the study provides evidence to explore the mechanism most likely involved with mindfulness meditation intervention in insomnia.

Role of mindfulness meditation for enhancement of self- efficacy in alcoholism

Abstract Mindfulness meditation is an effective tool to create mental awareness and has been used in meditation practice for many decades. Mindfulness meditation is the practice that bringing clear awareness to the present not on the pastor future without evaluation. Many research studies have proved the benefits of mindfulness meditation in psychological and bodily health. Mindfulness meditation interventions is highly effective in reducing the level of anxiety, and depression, prevention of alcohol relapse, controlling of craving and enhancement of self efficacy. Mindfulness meditation technique helps to awareness of once self-efficacy. The connection between mindfulness meditation and self-efficacy helps to focus on set goals and performance. People with high self-efficacy approach obstacles in life as challenges. They set challenging goals for themselves and work hard to achieve them. People with low self- efficacy view life obstacle as life threats and instead to overcome they will focus on their own deficiencies. They rarely set goals and do not commit for that. Self-efficacy is defined as a person’s conviction in his or her ability to carry out the behaviours required to achieve certain performance goals. A self-efficacy is a reflection of once confidence in the ability to control own motivation, behaviour, and responses to the environment.. High level of self-efficacy often has high motivation. In alcoholism It refers to the strength to stop or minimize addiction and manage craving, temptation and maintain behavioural changes. These changes might be the strongest predictors of recovery from alcoholism.

A Mobile App for Stress Management in Middle-Aged Men and Women (Calm): Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundMiddle-aged adults (40-65 years) report higher stress levels than most other age groups. There is a need to determine the feasibility of using a meditation app to reduce stress and improve stress-related outcomes in middle-aged adults with a focus on men, as previous meditation app–based studies have reported a low proportion of or even no male participants.ObjectiveThis study aims to (1) determine the feasibility (ie, acceptability and demand with a focus on men) of a consumer-based meditation app (Calm), to reduce stress among middle-aged adults reporting elevated stress levels, and (2) explore the preliminary effects of Calm on perceived stress, psychological outcomes (anxiety, depressive symptoms, mindfulness, and general coping), health behaviors (physical activity and eating habits), and COVID-19 perceptions.MethodsThis feasibility randomized controlled trial evaluated an app-based meditation intervention in middle-aged adults (N=83) with elevated stress levels (ie, Perceived Stress Scale score ≥15) and limited or no previous experience with meditation. Participants were randomized to the intervention group (Calm app) or a control (educational podcasts; POD) group. Participants completed self-report assessments at baseline and postintervention (week 4). Feasibility was measured as acceptability and demand using Bowen framework. Feasibility and COVID-19 perceptions data were examined using descriptive statistics, and preliminary effects were evaluated using repeated measures analysis of variance.ResultsParticipants were satisfied with Calm (27/28, 96%) and found it appropriate or useful (26/28, 93%). Most reported they would likely continue using the Calm app (18/28, 64%). More Calm users reported satisfaction, appropriateness or usefulness, and intent to continue app use than POD users. Calm users (n=33) completed a mean of 20 (SD 31.1) minutes of meditation on the days they meditated and 103 (SD 109.1) minutes of meditation per week. The average adherence rate to the prescribed meditation was 71% among Calm app users, compared to 62% among POD users. Recruitment rate of men was 35% (29/83). Of those randomized to Calm, 55% (15/29) were men, and retention among them was higher (14/15, 93%) than that among women (12/20, 60%). No significant within or between group differences were observed.ConclusionsA 4-week, app-based mindfulness meditation intervention (Calm) may be feasible for middle-aged adults and a useful stress-management tool. Calm users expressed satisfaction with the app and felt it was appropriate and useful. Significant improvements in perceived stress and psychological outcomes or stress-related health behaviors were not observed. Even though men spent less time in meditation than women did and completed fewer weekly sessions, they were more likely to adhere to the prescription. Further research is needed for improving stress and stress-related outcomes among middle-aged adults with emphasis on the effects of mindfulness meditation apps for men.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04272138; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04272138