Teenagers are highly susceptible to mental health issues and this problem has been exacerbated by the quarantine restrictions of COVID-19. This study evaluated the use of Heartfulness Meditation and Audio Brainwave Entrainment to help teenagers cope with mental health issues. It used 30-min Heartfulness meditation and 15-min brainwave entrainment sessions with binaural beats and isochronic tones three times a week for 4 weeks. Using a pretest-posttest methodology, participants were asked to complete a survey battery including the Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index, Perceived Stress Scale, Patient Health Question-9, Profile of Mood States, and Cambridge Brain Health assessment. Participants (n = 40) were divided into four experimental groups: the control group (n = 9), Audio Brainwave Entrainment group (n = 9), Heartfulness Meditation group (n = 10), and a combined group (n = 12), for a 4-week intervention. Data were analyzed with paired t-tests. The singular Audio Brainwave Entrainment group did not see statistically significant improvements, nor did any of the intervention groups for brain health (p > 0.05). This study, however, proved the efficacy of a 4-week Heartfulness Meditation program to regulate overall mood (p = 0.00132), stress levels (p = 0.0089), state depression (POMS; p = 0.0037), and anger (p = 0.002). Results also suggest adding Audio Brainwave Entrainment to Heartfulness Meditation may improve sleep quality (p = 0.0377) and stress levels (p = 0.00016).
Background HeartBot is an app designed to enable people 14 years and older to use relaxation tools offered by Heartfulness Institute to deal with daily stress and anxiety in a healthy, productive manner. These tools have proven effective in stress management and mental wellness when administered in a controlled environment by a certified proctor. Objective This study aimed to explore the app’s effectiveness and evaluate the implementation of the tools. Methods In this study, 88 participants were recruited and randomly sorted into 2 groups, the HeartBot intervention group (n=46) and the waitlist control group (n=42). Pre- and postsurveys measured participants’ stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and their social-emotional well-being using the EPOCH (Engagement, Perseverance, Optimism, Connectedness, and Happiness) Measure of Adolescent Well-Being before and after they used the app for 21 days for 30 minutes every day. Results The study received institutional review board approval on August 18, 2019. Participant recruitment lasted from the approval date until September 30, 2019. The 21-day challenge started on October 1, 2019. Of the 135 people who signed up, 88 completed the study. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean PSS scores before and after the intervention (from 18.3 to 7.89; P<.001). The paired Wilcoxon rank sum test on the EPOCH scores indicated a significant difference in the medians of the total scores (W=411.5, P<.001). Conclusions Evidence from this study shows that HeartBot is an effective app that can be used to manage stress and improve positive characteristics of emotional wellness. Future research and widespread usage of the app under this study are encouraged based on this preliminary evidence of its effectiveness. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04589520; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04589520
High levels of loneliness are prominent in teenagers ranging from ages 14–19. The 4‐week Self‐Care program, offered by the Heartfulness Institute, is designed to develop social–emotional skills and self‐observation. This study examined the impact of the Self‐Care program on loneliness in high school students in the United States in a randomized, wait‐list control trial with baseline and postintervention assessments. High school participants, aged 14–19, were randomized into a control‐wait‐listed group (n = 54) and a Heartfulness group (n = 54). Both the groups completed the intervention and the presurveys and postsurveys online, assessing their loneliness with the UCLA Loneliness Scale. The initial analysis noted the baseline equivalence of the data. A repeated measures ANOVA found a significant time * group interaction, with a significant decrease in loneliness reported in the Heartfulness Intervention group but no significant pre–post difference in the control group. In summary, the short online intervention program consisting of self‐care tools decreased loneliness scores in the participants. This study opens up a new valley of possibilities, apart from existing research, and demonstrates that the online intervention used might be helpful to decrease loneliness levels in teens.
HeartBot is an app designed to enable people 14 years and older to use Heartfulness tools to deal with daily stress and anxiety in a healthy, productive manner. Heartfulness tools have proven to be effective in a controlled environment when administered by a proctor, and this study will further explore its effectiveness. In this study, 88 participants were recruited and randomly sorted into two groups. These two groups consisted of the HeartBot intervention group (n=46) and the wait-listed control group (n=42). Pre and post surveys gained a measure of their stress levels, observed through PSS, and social-emotional well-being found through EPOCH measure of adolescent well-being before and after using the app for 21days. Data analysis was conducted using paired t-tests, Wilcox test, Kruskal test, epsilon squared, and ANOVA. Descriptive analysis showed a statistically significant difference at pre and post-data on PSS and EPOCH scores showing a decrease in perceived stress and an improvement in emotional wellness in the HeartBot group. Evidence from this study shows that HeartBot can be used by its users as an effective tool to manage stress and improve positive characteristics of emotional wellness.
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