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Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Mindfulness App Among Academic Advisors

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Abstract

This yearlong study examined the impact of the 10% Happier phone app on levels of mindfulness and perceived stress among academic advisors. In addition, the study explored whether attending a one-time training session would influence app usage. To date, there is limited research regarding the effectiveness of mindfulness apps on the levels of mindfulness and perceived stress and the impact an in-person mindfulness training has on app usage. In this study, participants were given the choice to attend a one-time training session that included gaining access to the app or receive access to the app without attending training. A quantitative design was used to sample academic advisors (n = 33) at a large, state university in the Midwest. The results showed that in-person training appeared to increase app usage, and paired sample t-tests indicated increased levels of mindfulness on the Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS) and decreased levels of perceived stress on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) among app users. There was no significant difference in changes in levels of mindfulness and perceived stress among those who did not use the app. A final result indicated 85% of participants agreed that practicing mindfulness was beneficial to their self-care and well-being.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Pre-Health Advising Center, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA

    Deborah S Hendricks

  2. School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green State, OH, USA

    Matthew R Lavery

  3. School of Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA

    Lucinda E Bouillon

  4. Department of Family Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, OH, USA

    Robert S Gotfried

Authors
  1. Deborah S Hendricks
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  2. Matthew R Lavery
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  3. Lucinda E Bouillon
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  4. Robert S Gotfried
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Deborah S Hendricks.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures conducted in this research study, which involved human participants, were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Institutional Review Board and performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. The study received ethical approval from the University. No adverse events were reported in this study.

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Hendricks, D.S., Lavery, M.R., Bouillon, L.E. et al. Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Mindfulness App Among Academic Advisors. J. technol. behav. sci. 5, 149–155 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-019-00122-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-019-00122-w

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