Stay Present with Your Phone: A Systematic Review and Standardized Rating of Mindfulness Apps in European App Stores.

International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Dana SchultchenLasse Bosse Sander

Abstract

Mindfulness-based interventions show positive effects on physical and mental health. For a better integration of mindfulness techniques in daily life, the use of apps may be promising. However, only a few studies have examined the quality of mindfulness apps using a validated standardized instrument. This review aims to evaluate the content, quality, and privacy features of mindfulness-focused apps from European commercial app stores. An automated search engine (webcrawler) was used to identify mindfulness-focused apps in the European Apple App- and Google Play store. Content, quality, and privacy features were evaluated by two independent reviewers using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). The MARS assesses the subscales engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information quality. Out of 605 identified apps, 192 met the inclusion criteria. The overall quality was moderate (M = 3.66, SD = 0.48). Seven apps were tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Most of the apps showed a lack of data security and no privacy policy. The five apps with the highest ratings are from a credible source, include a privacy policy, and are also based on standardized mindfulness and behavior change techniques. The plethora of often...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 10, 2021·JMIR MHealth and UHealth·Sarah PaganiniEva-Maria Messner
Aug 1, 2021·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·William R NardiShufang Sun

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