Background

There is growing evidence for the positive impact of mindfulness on wellbeing. Mindfulness-based mobile apps may have potential as an alternative delivery medium for training. While there are hundreds of such apps, there is little information on their quality.

Objective

This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of mindfulness-based iPhone mobile apps and to evaluate their quality using a recently-developed expert rating scale, the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). It also aimed to describe features of selected high-quality mindfulness apps.

Methods

A search for “mindfulness” was conducted in iTunes and Google Apps Marketplace. Apps that provided mindfulness training and education were included. Those containing only reminders, timers or guided meditation tracks were excluded. An expert rater reviewed and rated app quality using the MARS engagement, functionality, visual aesthetics, information quality and subjective quality subscales. A second rater provided MARS ratings on 30% of the apps for inter-rater reliability purposes.

Results

The “mindfulness” search identified 700 apps. However, 94 were duplicates, 6 were not accessible and 40 were not in English. Of the remaining 560, 23 apps met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The median MARS score was 3.2 (out of 5.0), which exceeded the minimum acceptable score (3.0). The Headspace app had the highest average score (4.0), followed by Smiling Mind (3.7), iMindfulness (3.5) and Mindfulness Daily (3.5). There was a high level of inter-rater reliability between the two MARS raters.

Conclusions

Though many apps claim to be mindfulness-related, most were guided meditation apps, timers, or reminders. Very few had high ratings on the MARS subscales of visual aesthetics, engagement, functionality or information quality. Little evidence is available on the efficacy of the apps in developing mindfulness.

Review and evaluation of mindfulness-based iPhone apps

Achtsamkeit im Sport

Integrating extensive sport psychological interventions into the daily routine of young football players poses a problem. This case study aimed to describe the implementation of an app-based blended mindfulness intervention in a German Bundesliga youth academy to improve goalkeepers’ (n = 6) attention. A mindfulness app was combined with regular group workshops. The study included an outcome evaluation based on pre- and postintervention assessments of attention performance and process evaluation based on recorded training time and collected qualitative data. The results showed an improvement in the players’ Frankfurt Attention Inventory-2 L scores and K scores. The training time with the app was low (M = 30.51 min), but high (M = 200.00 min) without the app. To implement an app-based intervention successfully, the results imply that players need more assistance with the app, and time management and informal training should be incorporated into sport-specific exercises.

Implementation of an App-Based Blended Mindfulness Intervention in a Bundesliga Youth Academy Targeting Goalkeepers: A Case Study

The present study employed a quasi-experimental design, in which the experimental group (n = 13) practiced a loving-kindness meditation (LKM) via a single in-person workshop and via an app, whereas the active control group (n = 20) practiced progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). Both interventions lasted 1 week and were executed in the respective soccer academy. The groups completed a pre- and posttest measuring compassion, fairness, and team cohesion. In contrast to our hypothesis, we did not find an interaction effect. LKM athletes did not demonstrate greater cohesion, fairness, and compassion after the intervention than the PMR athletes. By comparing user engagement and user rating between LKM and PMR, we conclude that LKM is as accepted as PMR by the study cohort. We suggest implementing future LKM interventions with substantial interaction parts and considering specific person-by-context interactions.

An App-Based Loving-Kindness Training to Facilitate Compassion, Team Cohesion, and Fairness

In China, table tennis has always been one of the most popular sports, with small field restrictions and it is simple and fun to play. But what is unknown is that with China’s major table tennis events thriving, the psychological pressure of table tennis players’ training is also increasing. However, the existing training methods obviously do not pay enough attention to psychological training, and there is no complete system for psychological training. Although the current dynamic heart rate measurement method can play a certain role in the detection, there is still the disadvantage of low detection accuracy. The heart rate is an important sign of life, and the monitoring of the heart rate of table tennis players should be strengthened, reflecting the functional state of the athletes’ heart, and facilitating the more intuitive adjustment of the psychological training method of athletes. The heart rate measurement method based on face recognition contains a plate content that is rich. Through deep learning face recognition, the heart rate measurement method has high calculation efficiency, can effectively eliminate the influence of other external environmental factors, can use video recording, and can use face recognition and physiological parameters’ quantification to monitor athletes’ heart rate changes in real time; the visible artificial intelligence auxiliary diagnosis potential is huge. To this end, this paper aims to provide effective suggestions for the psychological training of table tennis players with deep learning as the technical support. In response to this, the aim of this paper was to design a deep learning-based face recognition heart rate measurement method that judges the psychological fluctuations of athletes through changes in heart rate. We conducted a questionnaire survey with the table tennis players of the Hunan team as the object of investigation, so as to understand the source of the psychological pressure of athletes and make reasonable suggestions. The experimental results of this paper show that the heart rate error of the video heart rate measurement algorithm is within 3% in the calm state and within 4% in the post-exercise state. This can effectively measure psychological fluctuations, and through investigation and research, it can provide an effective method for the psychological training of table tennis players.

Psychological Training Method for Table Tennis Players Using Deep Learning

The present case study describes the content and implementation of a blended psychological skills training, consisting of an app and workshops, with a group of athletes (N = 44) from a Bundesliga soccer academy in Germany. In a pre–post design, athletes completed different questionnaires at two measurement points. There was a significant increase in concentration and self-efficacy and more frequent recovery after the intervention. However, athletes showed equal competition anxiety levels and more frequent stress after the intervention. The app’s training time was brief (M = 14.36 min, SD = 18.17 min) over 9 weeks and did not moderate the intervention’s effects. A comparison between active users and nonusers indicates that the results found were due to the workshops. The qualitative feedback indicates that motivational functions should be added to a psychological skills training app and time slots should be created in athletes’ demanding schedules to ensure high user engagement.

Developing and Implementing an App-Based Blended Psychological Skills Training: A Case Study

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Fallstudie beschreibt detailliert und ganzheitlich das App-basierte mentale Training (MT) der deutschen mannlichen U19 Handballnationalmannschaft vor und wahrend de...

Blended Learning zur Betreuung der deutschen männlichen U19 Handballnationalmannschaft bei der WM 2019

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Developing and Implementing an App-Based Blended Psychological Skills Training: A Case Study

Blended Learning zur Betreuung der deutschen männlichen U19 Handballnationalmannschaft bei der WM 2019

Implementation of an App-Based Blended Mindfulness Intervention in a Bundesliga Youth Academy Targeting Goalkeepers: A Case Study