TY - JOUR
T1 - A mindfulness meditation mobile app improves depression and anxiety in adults with sleep disturbance
T2 - Analysis from a randomized controlled trial
AU - Huberty, Jennifer
AU - Puzia, Megan E.
AU - Green, Jeni
AU - Vlisides-Henry, Robert D.
AU - Larkey, Linda
AU - Irwin, Michael R.
AU - Vranceanu, Ana Maria
N1 - Funding Information:
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Dr. Huberty conducts investigator-initiated research that utilizes the Calm app to deliver mindfulness meditation interventions, but Calm does not financially support her research. Dr. Huberty consults for Calm as the Director of Science and Director of Calm's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Her role is to ensure the quality of Calm's science, and she has no specific obligations to the company, nor does she receive financial incentives (e.g. stocks) related to the growth or success of the company. Drs. Vranceanu, Larkey, and Irwin also serve on Calm's SAB. They also receive no financial incentives (e.g. stocks) related to the growth or success of the company. Mrs. Puzia is a paid employee of Behavioral Research and Analytics, LLC. JH drafted/edited the manuscript and managed MP, JG, RV, LL, MI, and AV contributions to the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the data, and drafting of the manuscript. MP conducted the analyses, contributed to the interpretation of the data, and drafted/edited the manuscript. JG contributed to the interpretation of the data and drafted/edited the manuscript. RV assisted with data preparation and analyses and editing the manuscript. LL contributed to study design and interpretation of the data and editing the manuscript. MI contributed to interpretation of the data and editing the manuscript. AV contributed to study design and interpretation of the data and editing the manuscript. All authors critically reviewed and edited the manuscript, approved its submission, and fulfilled the criteria for authorship established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors would like to acknowledge Breanne Laird for her help preparing the manuscript for submission.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2021/11/1
Y1 - 2021/11/1
N2 - Objective: The objective of this study was to 1) determine the effects of a meditation app on depression and anxiety in adults with sleep disturbance, and 2) explore the potential mediating effects of fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and pre-sleep arousal on the relationship between use of the meditation app and changes in depression and anxiety. Methods: Participants were 239 adults with elevated insomnia symptoms (i.e., scores ≥ 10 on the Insomnia Severity Index) and limited or no previous experience with meditation. Depression, anxiety, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and pre-sleep arousal were assessed at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks. Repeated-measures ANCOVAs assessed intervention effects on depression and anxiety. Mediation models were estimated using the PROCESS macro. Results: Participants in the meditation group had more improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms during the intervention period than did those in the control group. Changes in somatic and cognitive pre-sleep arousal at mid-intervention fully mediated effects on depression and partially mediated effects on anxiety. There were no significant indirect effects of fatigue and daytime-sleepiness on changes in mental health. Conclusions: A meditation app may improve depression and anxiety in adults with sleep disturbance, with effects being driven by improvements in pre-sleep arousal. Future studies should consider targeting pre-sleep arousal to improve mental health in this population.
AB - Objective: The objective of this study was to 1) determine the effects of a meditation app on depression and anxiety in adults with sleep disturbance, and 2) explore the potential mediating effects of fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and pre-sleep arousal on the relationship between use of the meditation app and changes in depression and anxiety. Methods: Participants were 239 adults with elevated insomnia symptoms (i.e., scores ≥ 10 on the Insomnia Severity Index) and limited or no previous experience with meditation. Depression, anxiety, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and pre-sleep arousal were assessed at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks. Repeated-measures ANCOVAs assessed intervention effects on depression and anxiety. Mediation models were estimated using the PROCESS macro. Results: Participants in the meditation group had more improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms during the intervention period than did those in the control group. Changes in somatic and cognitive pre-sleep arousal at mid-intervention fully mediated effects on depression and partially mediated effects on anxiety. There were no significant indirect effects of fatigue and daytime-sleepiness on changes in mental health. Conclusions: A meditation app may improve depression and anxiety in adults with sleep disturbance, with effects being driven by improvements in pre-sleep arousal. Future studies should consider targeting pre-sleep arousal to improve mental health in this population.
KW - Consumer-based products
KW - Digital interventions
KW - Insomnia
KW - Meditation
KW - Mental health
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85115021730&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.09.004
DO - 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.09.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 34537477
AN - SCOPUS:85115021730
SN - 0163-8343
VL - 73
SP - 30
EP - 37
JO - General Hospital Psychiatry
JF - General Hospital Psychiatry
ER -