ePST

Healthy Minds Program is a meditation-based app that aims to help users manage their stress and mental wellness. After completing a baseline questionnaire, users can choose to learn about the basics of the program in the ‘Foundations’ section. Users can also partake in 5-30 minute exercises in programs focused on Awareness, Connection, Insight, and Purpose. Other tools include individual meditations, and the ability to track the number of days the user has meditated.
Available for Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. 5.0 and up, Web
Developer: Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc.
Type of Treatment: Mindfulness, Psychoeducation & Information, Symptom Tracking/Self-Monitoring, Assessment/Screening
Targeted Conditions: Stress and Anxiety
Target Audience: Not Specified, says 4+ in App Store
Designed to be used in conjunction with a professional? No
Languages Available: English
Cost: Free
Get it on: Apple App Store, Google Play, Web
In one research study, Goldberg conducted a randomized, 8-week intervention study (N=343) with the objective of understanding the effects of a self-guided, meditation-based app on the psychological distress levels of participants as well as secondary outcomes such as social connection. 343 participants with basic meditation experience were randomized into 1 of 3 treatments – waitlist control or one of two smartphone-based meditation interventions (Healthy Minds Program). All participants completed the Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Information System (PROMIS) questionnaire to assess depression and anxiety levels, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to assess stress levels, Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (SCS-R) to assess interpersonal connection, Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to assess empathy, Compassionate Love Scale (CLS) to assess feelings of compassion, Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) to assess participants’ inclination of self-reflection, Perseverative Thnking Questionnaire (PTQ) to assess rumination, Drexel Defusion Scale (DDS) to assess one’s ability to distance themselves psychologically from one’s internal experiences, and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) to assess mindfulness during baseline, week 4, and week 8. With 186/343 (54.2%) participants completing the week 4 and/or week 8 assessment, those in one of the two smartphone-based meditation interventions showed larger improvements in measures for distress, social connectedness, mindfulness, and measures related to insight training (ds =-0.28 to 0.41).
We review apps against rating criteria developed by experts in the field. Some of those criteria are:
We look at the research supporting the technology and the credibility of the development process.
We review privacy policies to see if key pieces of information about what happens with entered data are addressed.
We explore how fun, functional, easy-to-use, engaging, and interesting the technology is.
A professional in a relevant field downloads and uses the technology and writes a narrative review, highlighting pros & cons and some recommendations for use.