Putting the ‘app’ in Happiness: A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Smartphone-Based Mindfulness Intervention to Enhance Wellbeing

Abstract

Smartphones are revolutionizing approaches to wellbeing investment. Those seeking greater happiness can engage with thousands of downloadable self-help applications instantly, yet the effectiveness of these strategies remains unknown. As wellbeing can be significantly enhanced by positive psychological interventions, the present investigation explored the viability of delivering this content in application format to the happiness seekers it is targeting. A smartphone-based randomized-controlled trial was conducted with a self-selecting pool, randomly assigned to engage with an empirically based mindfulness intervention (n = 57) or a placebo intervention (n = 64) for ten days. The study explored the feasibility of smartphone intervention delivery, the importance of empirically based content and the extent to which subjective experience ratings related to wellbeing gains. Results showed engagement with the mindfulness application lead to significant gains in positive affect with a medium effect size and reduced depressive symptoms with a small effect size. No significant gains were observed in the control condition. Ratings of task enjoyment were positively associated with wellbeing gains. A positive trend was observed between task ease and gains made. Findings support the viability of smartphone-based interventions to significantly enhance wellbeing, underscoring the importance of application content and person-activity fit. This investigation presents implications for happiness seeking strategies in the real world whilst showcasing a dynamic method of intervention delivery that can benefit future research and practice. The greatest mission of positive psychology is to enhance global flourishing; the prevalence of smartphones and the potential of interventions may play a vital role.

The Impact of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Happiness: A Reflection on the Relevance of Integrating a Positive Psychology Framework within Mindfulness Research in Youth

“…Furthermore, Choi et al (2012) reported that following a MBI, both novice and experienced meditators looked happier when rated by outside observers, in comparison to participants in the control group. Results from a randomized controlled trial indicated that a smartphone-based MBI significantly increased positive affect and decreased depressive symptoms in a sample of happiness seeking adults (Howells et al 2016). A recent study by Ivtzan et al (2016) showed a positive impact of a MBI on well-being (namely positive emotions, self-compassion, happiness, autonomy, self-efficacy, meaning and compassion to others), while reducing depression and stress symptoms.…”

Do Mindfulness Meditation Apps Decrease Stress in College Students? (Preprint)

“…In recent years interest and acceptance of the practice has increased [5], leading researchers to question its legitimacy as a health solution. Many studies have documented positive effects of mindfulnessbased therapies on mental and physical health [6,7] including improved quality of life [8] and well-being [5,9], and a reduction in psychiatric symptoms [10]. Even short interventions have found that increased mindfulness effectively decreases anxiety and stress [11,12].…”

Promises and Pitfalls of Computer-Supported Mindfulness: Exploring a Situated Mobile Approach

“…Most empirical research on mobile approaches to mindfulness has focused on instruction through audio, video, or text [16,17]. However, the design approaches to meditation instruction varies.…”

“…For example, HeadSpace, a mobile app, seeks to cultivate mindfulness by providing a series of audio clips that vary in intensity and length [18]. Research comparing the HeadSpace mobile app with another mobile app control showed significant increases in positive affect [17]. Other approaches provide audio guides based on situational context; for instance in the mobile app Buddhify [19], users are prompted to first select a context (e.g., feeling pain or travelling) that will then be matched by an audio guided meditation.…”