A Randomised Controlled Trial to Investigate the Effects of a Mindfulness Smartphone App on Well-being in the Workplace

University College London (UCL)

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Well-being, Work Stress

Treatments: Other: Headspace On-the-go app

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT01661569

3035/002

Details and patient eligibility

About

We propose a randomised controlled trial in a workplace setting to investigate whether a smartphone-delivered programme of mindfulness meditation influences psychological and biological indicators of well-being.

We hypothesise that after 8 weeks participants who complete the meditation programme will show increases in psychological well-being and reduced activation of stress-related biological pathways.

Full description

Mindfulness-based therapies can reduce depressive symptoms in patients and healthy subjects. Therapies such as MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) typically consist of 8 group sessions led by an experienced practitioner, plus home practice and one full day of meditation. In this study we aim to investigate whether a mindfulness programme delivered as a series of podcasts on a mobile phone app could lead to gains in well-being and a reduction in stress.

Enrollment: 120 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Employees of a UK high-tech company
• Raised levels of work stress (overcommitment>2) or depression (CESD>1)

Exclusion criteria

• treated for anxiety, depression or hypertension
• taking medication containing steroids

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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120 participants in 2 patient groups

Headspace On-the-go app

Experimental group

Description:

Participants were given access to a 45-day mindfulness meditation programme via the Headspace smartphone app

Treatment:

Other: Headspace On-the-go app

Waitlist control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants will be asked to wait for 8 weeks before starting the intervention