ePST
5.00
App Reviews /
Stress Free Now Review
Credibility
2.85 / 5.00
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Detailsfor
Stress Free Now
Overall Score: 8/14
Research base 2/3
Research support 1/2
Specificity of proposed intervention 2/3
Number of consumer ratings 2/3
Product advisory support 1/1
Software support 0/2
date of rating: June 2017
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User Experience
2.98 / 5.00
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Engagement: 2.4 Functionality: 3.8 Aesthetics: 2.7 Information: 3.0 Subjective quality score: 2.5 Perceived impact score: 2.8 Rating date: August 2015 Rated by: Mani, M., Kavanagh, D. J., Hides, L., & Stoyanov, S. R. (2015). Review and Evaluation of Mindfulness-Based iPhone Apps. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 3(3), e82. https://doi.org/10.2196/mhealth.4328
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Professional Review
Not Yet AvailableStress Free Now offers guided meditations aimed to help individuals reduce and control feelings of stress. The app features ten different meditation audio tracks, ranging in length from about 5 to 20-minutes. Each audio track has a short introductory test and is accompanied by a picture. The meditations are grounded in mindfulness and use a range of relaxation techniques including diaphragmatic breathing, body scanning, and guided imagery. Stress Free Now recommends users to practice a meditation with the app at least four times per week. The app is free.
Technical Details
Available for: iOS 6.0 or later (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch)
Developer: Cleveland Clinic Wellness Enterprise
Type of Treatment: Mindfulness
Targeted Conditions: Stress and Anxiety
Target Audience: Adults
Designed to be used in conjunction with a healthcare professional: No
Languages Available: English
Cost: Free
Get it on: iTunes
Research on this App
Practice of mindfulness meditation is associated with decreased stress response (e.g. Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, & Walach, 2004). The app was evaluated as part of a structured internet-based stress management (ISM) program. A randomized trial of 551 people from a community sample participated in the ISM program, the ISM program plus an online messaging forum, or a control group, for 8 weeks. Participants who used the ISM program demonstrated statistically significant improvements in stress compared to controls (Morledge et al., 2013), The same program was also examined in an organizational context (Allexandre et al., 2016). 161 employees at a corporate call centre were assigned to a mindfulness stress management program, the program plus group support, or a wait-list control, for a duration of 8 weeks. Active participants in a corporate setting showed reductions in perceived stress and increased emotional and psychological well-being, compared to controls.
• Grossman P, Niemann L, Schmidt S, Walach H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits. A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57, 35 – 43.
• Morledge, T.J., Allexandre, D., Fox, E. et al. (2013). Feasibility of an Online Mindfulness Program for Stress Management—A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 46 (2), 137–148.
Allexandre, D., Bernstein, A., Walker, E., Hunter, J., Roizen, M., Morledge, T. (2016). A Web-Based Mindfulness Stress Management Program in a Corporate Call Center – A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Added Benefit of Onsite Group Support. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 46 (2),137–148.
