None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to identify predictors of engagement in, and outcomes following, a two-week app-based mindfulness intervention in a sample of adults with high levels of generalised anxiety. On an online platform, participants will complete a cognitive task and questionnaires regarding aspects of their mental health, personality traits and patterns in thinking and behaviour. They will then be asked to use the Smiling Mind app to practice mindfulness meditation daily for the next two weeks. App usage data will be obtained directly from Smiling Mind to gain a measure of participant engagement in the intervention. Psychological predictors of engagement in the intervention (minutes and days of practice) and outcome (pre-post change in generalised anxiety symptoms) will then be examined. It is expected that psychological factors related to the maintenance of generalised anxiety will predict poorer engagement outcomes. Outcomes related to anxiety, depression, stress and worry will be examined from pre to post intervention.
Interventions
The intervention training will occur over a two-week period via participants' own mobile phone device within the home context. Eligible participants will complete questionnaires and receive instructions relating to the app-based intervention on an online platform that they will self-enroll in. The training will be delivered by the free mobile phone app ‘Smiling Mind©’. This app contains folders of brief audio recordings of mindfulness meditation exercises (e.g., ‘mindfulness of the breath’, ‘bod
The intervention training will occur over a two-week period via participants' own mobile phone device within the home context. Eligible participants will complete questionnaires and receive instructions relating to the app-based intervention on an online platform that they will self-enroll in. The training will be delivered by the free mobile phone app ‘Smiling Mind©’. This app contains folders of brief audio recordings of mindfulness meditation exercises (e.g., ‘mindfulness of the breath’, ‘body scan’). Participants will be given instructions to practice mindfulness meditation exercises using the app for at least 10 minutes daily. They will be encouraged to first watch three brief animated videos on the Smiling Mind app (about one minute in length each) that explain what mindfulness is, how it is beneficial, and how it can be practiced. However, they will be instructed that they will be free to decide which exercises they practice and if they practice for more than 10 minutes a day. Adherence will be determined through mobile phone app usage data, provided to researchers directly from the phone app with the participants' consent. In addition, participants will be asked to indicate the amount of minutes and days they practiced mindfulness during the intervention period in a post-treatment online questionnaire.
Sponsors
University of Tasmania
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants will be screened for inclusion/exclusion using an online screening questionnaire. In order to be included in the study, participants will need to indicate that they are between 18-40 years old, live in Australia, and have normal or corrected-to-normal vision. They will need to indicate that they are able to read and understand English fluently (so they are able to read task stimuli and instructions clearly). Participants will also need to meet a questionnaire cut-off for high levels of generalised anxiety (>8 on Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale/GAD-7). Participants will also need to have their own Android or iPhone smartphone in order to download and use the mindfulness meditation app (Smiling Mind).
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded if they indicate they have epilepsy, other neurological or psychiatric disorders (with the exception of a depressive or anxiety disorder, OCD, or sleep disorder), serious physical health conditions, or have had brain injury or surgery. Those who undertook a Stroop task were excluded if they reported colour blindness, as they needed to be able to distinguish colours to complete the Stroop task. Participants will be asked not to participate if they have used illicit substances on more than 6 occasions in the past 6 months. At the first online component, participants will be asked to refrain from participating if they are intoxicated from, or have recently (i.e., in last two hours) used, alcohol or other substances. Those who undertook a Stroop task were asked to refrain from using nicotine or caffeine during (i.e., while completing) the initial online session.
Outcome results
None listed