Exploring the effectiveness of a mindfulness training app for managing stress in a university student population : a pilot study

The goal of this pilot study was to test the effectiveness of a 4-week self-help protocol using a mindfulness training application delivered via smartphone for managing stress in a university student population. The study sample included 21 university undergraduate and graduate students (11 in the intervention group; 10 in the control group) whose ages ranged from 18-25 years of age (M=20.89, SD=2.18). Participants were assessed on preand postintervention measures of mindfulness, using the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale– Revised (CAMS-R; Feldman, Hayes, Kumar, Greeson, & Laurenceau, 2007); psychological stress, measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983); physiological stress measured by Heart Rate Variability; stereotype threat (gender stigma consciousness and ethnicity stigma consciousness) measured by the Social Identities and Attitudes Scale (SIAS; Picho & Brown, 2011); and coping style, measured by the Brief COPE (Brief COPE; Carver, 1997). Results of the study indicated that there was a significant difference in physiological stress scores [F(1,18)=5.597, p=.029] between the two groups, with a large effect size (partial eta squared was .237). The students who utilized the mindfulness training app had a larger overall decrease in physiological stress scores (i.e., increase in HRV), than did the control group, with the intervention group’s post-test HRV scores increasing 2.91%, while the control group’s posttest HRV scores decreased 6.01% from their pre-test HRV scores. Although not statistically significant, the intervention group exhibited a higher overall increase in mindfulness, decrease in psychological stress, decrease in stereotype threat (gender stigma consciousness and ethnicity stigma consciousness), and lower levels of maladaptive coping (denial and behavioral disengagement) than the control group. EXPLORING THE EFFECTIVENSS OF A MINDFULNESS TRAINING APP 4 Finally, the mindfulness training app appeared to be relatively easy to use and effective for managing stress, as 90.9% of the students using the mindfulness training app rated the tasks required by the intervention as being either easy or very easy; 90.9% endorsed either agreeing or strongly agreeing that they found the intervention useful; and 81.8% endorsed either agreeing or strongly agreeing that they would suggest this type of practice for stress management. EXPLORING THE EFFECTIVENSS OF A MINDFULNESS TRAINING APP 5