Principal Findings
depression, Stress, anxiety
PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS, DISORDERS
This study sought to investigate if 3 formats of digital mindfulness interventions would show efficacy in reducing subjective and physiological levels of stress in a population with elevated symptoms of stress. The study found that self-reported stress as measured by PSS-10 was significantly reduced in the Managing Stress and Basics groups from the preintervention to the postintervention period compared to the other groups. Furthermore, the study found significant improvement in self-reported sleep quality as measured by the PSQI in the Managing Stress and Basics groups from the preintervention to the postintervention period compared to the other groups. Trait mindfulness, as measured by MAAS, did not yield significant differences across any of the groups. Finally, the results showed that only the Basics and Managing Stress groups displayed significantly reduced levels of physiological stress (ie, expressed as increased HRV activity) during exposure to the acute stress manipulation task (ie, CPT).To our knowledge this study is the first study to demonstrate stress-reducing effects of a digital mindfulness app in a population with elevated baseline stress levels. Stress is prevalent in modern society and is accepted as a contributing factor to the onset of a range of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety [