# Effects of an 8-Week App-Based Mindfulness Intervention on Mental Health in Working Women: Randomized Controlled Trial

## TL;DR

An 8-week app-based mindfulness program improved mental health in working women by reducing stress and increasing life satisfaction.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a smartphone app delivering mindfulness for improving mental health in working women.

## Key findings

- The intervention significantly increased life satisfaction and decreased perceived stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and trait anger.
- Improvements were observed in general psychological indicators but not in work- or family-related outcomes.
- Higher-intensity interventions may be needed to improve work- and family-related mental health indicators.

## Abstract

Although working women experience increased work-related stress, preventive interventions to reduce its negative effects on their mental health are insufficient.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-based self-help intervention via a smartphone app across 4 domains (general psychological, work-related, family-related, and work-to-conflict) among working women.

This study recruited women workers via various media sources, such as crowdsourcing sites and social networking services. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=106) or waitlist control groups (n=107). Participants in the intervention group practiced guided mindfulness meditation every day at their convenience via an app on their cell phones for 8 weeks. The app provides an 8-week program with 4 meditation contents per 2 weeks. Participants in the waitlist control group lived as usual for 8 weeks. We conducted web-based questionnaires to assess participants’ general psychological (life satisfaction, perceived stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, trait anger, and mindfulness), work-related (work performance, job satisfaction, quantitative job overload, and job control), family-related (family satisfaction and partner satisfaction), and work-to-family conflict indicators.

An analysis of covariance, controlled for preintervention scores, revealed that the intervention significantly increased life satisfaction (b=1.47, β=0.11; P=.005) and decreased perceived stress (b=–2.00, β=–0.17; P=.01), depressive and anxiety symptoms (b=–1.24, β=–0.15; P=.02), and trait anger (reaction; b=–0.59, β=–0.11; P=.04). The intervention group demonstrated significantly increased life satisfaction (t93=–3.36; P=.001) and decreased depressive and anxiety symptoms (t93=2.35; P=.02).

The app was effective in reducing perceived stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and trait anger (reaction), and in improving life satisfaction among working women. However, to improve work- and family-related indicators, higher-intensity interventions may be required, such as modifying the intervention content or extending its duration.

University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000051796; https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000059110