Mindfulness improves psychological health and supports health behaviour cognitions: evidence from a pragmatic RCT of a digital mindfulness-based intervention
Mindfulness improves psychological health and supports health behaviour cognitions: evidence from a pragmatic RCT of a digital mindfulness-based intervention
Background: Mindfulness-based interventions can improve psychological health; yet the mechanisms of change are underexplored. This pre-registered remote RCT evaluated a freely accessible digital mindfulness programme aiming to improve well-being, mental health and sleep quality. Health behaviour cognitions were explored as possible mediators. Methods: Participants from 91 countries (N = 1247, M
age = 27.03 [9.04]) were randomized to 30 days of mindfulness practice or attention-matched control condition. Measures of well-being, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, barriers self-efficacy, self-regulation and behavioural predictors (e.g., attitudes and behavioural intentions) were taken at baseline, 1-month (post-intervention) and 2-months (follow-up). Linear regression examined intervention effects between and within groups. Longitudinal mediation analyses explored indirect effects through health behaviour cognitions. Results: Three hundred participants completed post-intervention measures. Those receiving mindfulness training reported significantly better well-being (M
difference = 2.34, 95%CIs.45–4.24, p =.016), lower depression (M
difference = −1.47, 95%CIs −2.38 to −.56, p =.002) and anxiety symptoms (M
difference = −.77, 95%CIs −1.51 to −.02, p =.045) than controls. Improvements in well-being and depression were maintained at follow-up. Intervention effects on primary outcomes were mediated by attitudes towards health maintenance and behavioural intentions. Mediating effects of attitudes remained when controlling for prior scores in models of depression and well-being. Conclusions: Digital, self-administered mindfulness practice for 30 days meaningfully improved psychological health, at least partially due to improved attitudes towards health behaviours and stronger behavioural intentions. This trial found that digital mindfulness is a promising and scalable well-being tool for the general population, and highlighted its role in supporting health behaviours.
well-being, digital health, mindfulness, behaviour change, self-regulation, depression
1031-1048
Remskar, Masha
a3d50511-a419-4492-b173-3b32866a0d7f
Western, Max J.
5fcd549f-c93b-45c6-acf6-c5705ac15865
Ainsworth, Ben
b02d78c3-aa8b-462d-a534-31f1bf164f81
Remskar, Masha
a3d50511-a419-4492-b173-3b32866a0d7f
Western, Max J.
5fcd549f-c93b-45c6-acf6-c5705ac15865
Ainsworth, Ben
b02d78c3-aa8b-462d-a534-31f1bf164f81
Remskar, Masha, Western, Max J. and Ainsworth, Ben
(2024)
Mindfulness improves psychological health and supports health behaviour cognitions: evidence from a pragmatic RCT of a digital mindfulness-based intervention.
British Journal of Health Psychology, 29 (4), .
(doi:10.1111/bjhp.12745).
Abstract
Background: Mindfulness-based interventions can improve psychological health; yet the mechanisms of change are underexplored. This pre-registered remote RCT evaluated a freely accessible digital mindfulness programme aiming to improve well-being, mental health and sleep quality. Health behaviour cognitions were explored as possible mediators. Methods: Participants from 91 countries (N = 1247, M
age = 27.03 [9.04]) were randomized to 30 days of mindfulness practice or attention-matched control condition. Measures of well-being, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, barriers self-efficacy, self-regulation and behavioural predictors (e.g., attitudes and behavioural intentions) were taken at baseline, 1-month (post-intervention) and 2-months (follow-up). Linear regression examined intervention effects between and within groups. Longitudinal mediation analyses explored indirect effects through health behaviour cognitions. Results: Three hundred participants completed post-intervention measures. Those receiving mindfulness training reported significantly better well-being (M
difference = 2.34, 95%CIs.45–4.24, p =.016), lower depression (M
difference = −1.47, 95%CIs −2.38 to −.56, p =.002) and anxiety symptoms (M
difference = −.77, 95%CIs −1.51 to −.02, p =.045) than controls. Improvements in well-being and depression were maintained at follow-up. Intervention effects on primary outcomes were mediated by attitudes towards health maintenance and behavioural intentions. Mediating effects of attitudes remained when controlling for prior scores in models of depression and well-being. Conclusions: Digital, self-administered mindfulness practice for 30 days meaningfully improved psychological health, at least partially due to improved attitudes towards health behaviours and stronger behavioural intentions. This trial found that digital mindfulness is a promising and scalable well-being tool for the general population, and highlighted its role in supporting health behaviours.
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Remskar Western Ainsworth_Mechanisms of mindfulness RCT_BJHP ACCEPTED
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British J Health Psychol - 2024 - Remskar - Mindfulness improves psychological health and supports health behaviour
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Accepted/In Press date: 8 August 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 21 August 2024
Additional Information:
For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence to any author-accepted manuscript version arising.
Keywords:
well-being, digital health, mindfulness, behaviour change, self-regulation, depression
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 493381
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/493381
ISSN: 1359-107X
PURE UUID: 85bd3f74-83bb-4552-9013-e7070db68ac6
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Date deposited: 02 Sep 2024 16:34
Last modified: 21 Aug 2025 02:03
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Author:
Masha Remskar
Author:
Max J. Western
Author:
Ben Ainsworth
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