An Efficacy Trial of the MindFi App for Stress, Well-being, and Sleep Quality in Working Adults

National University of Singapore

Status: Completed

Conditions: Burnout; Stress

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfi app: Standard content without practice; Behavioral: MindFi app: Standard content

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05085132

MINDFI01

Details and patient eligibility

About

90% of Asian workers report high levels of stress in an "always-on" culture. Stress and burnout are risk factors that account for 10-20% of health expenditure and threaten work longevity in the world's fastest growing economies. Traditional face-to-face sources of mental care such as counseling and psychotherapy are effective as a countermeasure to stress, but not always accessible or acceptable for those with busy lifestyles. Because of this, there is an urgent need for on-demand, scalable interventions to reduce stress and improve mental and physical well being. Technology-based solutions are increasingly being proposed to fill this need.

MindFi is a smartphone app that uses mindfulness exercises to help users cope with work stress and increase productivity. Since 2017, it has been featured by Apple, BBC, and Bloomberg and is being used at corporates such as Bain, Bloomberg, Cigna, and Zendesk. MindFi users contribute behavioral and self-report data, which are then used to generate individual recommendations for relevant, evidence-based exercises. These include mental care techniques such as mindfulness meditation, therapeutic journaling, psychosocial support and educational wellbeing quizzes.

In this study, the investigators will recruit 200 participants in a randomized controlled design, with 100 receiving access to content of the MindFi app, and 100 receiving access to a version containing music tracks for relaxation. Each intervention will last 4 weeks. Participants will use these apps for a period of 5 weeks (for a minimum of 10 minutes per day). Pre- and post-intervention, the investigators will measure self-reported ratings on a number of psychological variables, and will track sleep quality objectively for a one-week period.

Enrollment: 192 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Currently in full-time employment
2. Fluent in English
3. DASS-21 scores of at least 10 on the Stress subscale

Exclusion criteria

1. Current diagnosis of a chronic psychological disorder, or sleep disorder
2. Regularly practising meditation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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192 participants in 2 patient groups

MindFi app: Standard content

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive full access to the MindFi app, containing learning tracks, practice tracks, and assessments. Participants will be instructed to use a practice track for a minimum of 10 minutes a day, and may use other exercises or tracks if desired. The intervention will last 4 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: MindFi app: Standard content

Mindfi app: Standard content without practice

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants will receive full access to the MindFi app, containing learning tracks, music tracks, and assessments. Participants will be instructed to use a music track for a minimum of 10 minutes a day, and may use other exercises or tracks if desired. The intervention will last 4 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfi app: Standard content without practice