Department of Communication, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL 32084, USA.
College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Feb 24;19(5):2619. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19052619.
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and practices (MBPs) can promote better health outcomes. Although MBIs and MBPs were developed to be delivered in-person, mobile health (mHealth) tools such as apps have made these more accessible. Mindfulness apps (MAs) are popular among emerging adults (EAs) who have the highest ownership of smartphones and who are also at risk for distress. While adverse effects have been observed with MBIs/MBPs, this has not been examined when mindfulness is practiced using apps. We interviewed EAs ( = 22) to capture their motivations for using these apps and identified health-inhibiting and enhancing experiences. Data were thematically analyzed using the constant comparative method. Motivations for app use included accessibility, convenience, and stress/health management. EAs described health-enhancing outcomes (reduced distress, improved physical symptoms, increased focus) and health-inhibiting outcomes (worsened distress, performance uncertainty, dependency development, worsened physical health). They provided suggestions for improving apps (e.g., feedback option). These findings illustrate benefits and risks that EAs may encounter when practicing mindfulness using apps, which can inform the best practices for app design.
正念干预(MBIs)和实践(MBPs)可以促进更好的健康结果。尽管 MBIs 和 MBPs 是为面对面提供而开发的,但移动健康(mHealth)工具,如应用程序,使这些方法更加容易获得。正念应用程序(MAs)在新兴成年人(EAs)中很受欢迎,他们拥有最高的智能手机拥有率,而且也面临着困扰的风险。虽然在进行正念练习时使用应用程序已经观察到了不良反应,但这在使用 MBIs/MBPs 时并没有得到检验。我们采访了 EAs(=22),以了解他们使用这些应用程序的动机,并确定了对健康有抑制和促进作用的体验。使用恒定性比较法对数据进行了主题分析。使用应用程序的动机包括可及性、便利性和压力/健康管理。EAs 描述了健康促进的结果(减少困扰、改善身体症状、增加专注力)和健康抑制的结果(困扰加剧、表现不确定、依赖性发展、身体健康恶化)。他们还为应用程序的改进提供了建议(例如,反馈选项)。这些发现说明了 EAs 在使用应用程序进行正念练习时可能遇到的益处和风险,这可以为应用程序设计提供最佳实践。