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Review
. 2023 Aug 4:25:e44638.
doi: 10.2196/44638.

Mindfulness-Based Mobile Apps and Their Impact on Well-Being in Nonclinical Populations: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Katrin Schwartz  1 , Fabienne Marie Ganster  1 , Ulrich S Tran  1
Affiliations
Review

Mindfulness-Based Mobile Apps and Their Impact on Well-Being in Nonclinical Populations: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Katrin Schwartz et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Mindfulness-based mobile apps have become popular tools for enhancing well-being in today's fast-paced world. Their ability to reduce geographical, financial, and social barriers makes them a promising alternative to traditional interventions.

Objective: As most available apps lack a theoretical framework, this review aimed to evaluate their effectiveness and assess their quality. We expected to find small sample sizes, high dropout rates, and small effect sizes in the included studies.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PsycInfo, PsycNet, PubMed, an institutional search engine (u:search), and Google Scholar. Randomized controlled trials assessing the impact of mobile mindfulness apps on well-being in nonclinical samples were included. Study selection, risk of bias (using the version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials), and reporting quality (using selected CONSORT [Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials] statement criteria) assessments were performed by 2 authors independently and discussed until a consensus was reached.

Results: The 28 included randomized controlled trials differed in well-being measures, apps, and intervention duration (7 to 56 days; median duration 28 days). A wide range of sample sizes (12 to 2282; median 161) and attrition rates (0% to 84.7%; median rate 23.4%) were observed. Most studies (19/28, 68%) reported positive effects on at least one aspect of well-being. The effects were presented using different metrics but were primarily small or small to medium in size. Overall risk of bias was mostly high.

Conclusions: The wide range of sample sizes, attrition rates, and intervention periods and the variation in well-being measures and mobile apps contributed to the limited comparability of the studies. Although most studies (16/28, 57%) reported small or small to medium effects for at least one well-being outcome, this review demonstrates that the generalizability of the results is limited. Further research is needed to obtain more consistent conclusions regarding the impact of mindfulness-based mobile apps on well-being in nonclinical populations.

Keywords: RCT; mindfulness; mobile app; mobile phone; randomized controlled trial; systematic review; well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flowchart of study selection. The search results totaled 2613 in PubMed and >22,000 in Google Scholar. We screened the first 200 hits in each of these databases, ranked by relevance. For the study that could not be retrieved, the researcher was contacted via email but never answered. RCT: randomized controlled trial.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cochrane risk of bias summary of the included randomized controlled trials.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Quality of reporting using selected CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement criteria. Regarding the criterion “Results of any other analyses performed,” studies that did not perform any other analyses were excluded from this calculation.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Most salient trial limitations and their degree of fulfillment. Only 1 randomized controlled trial conducted sample size calculations based on well-being effect sizes from previous research, but this effect size was taken out of a clinical context concerning web-based interventions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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