How to ensure a mindfulness app is effective as it claims

Meditation-mindfulness apps are big business but just how effective are they? These tips will help you spend wisely.

Visit the app store on your smartphone and you’ll find hundreds of wellness apps promising to help you sleep better and manage stress.

Some of the most popular focus on meditation-mindfulness, but their popularity has led to a crowded market with questionable quality. And with many charging a subscription, it raises the question: are these apps as effective as they claim to be?

Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam of the University of Melbourne says there’s genuine confusion among the general public.

You can find hundreds of wellness apps promising to help you sleep better and manage stress but, before you pay a subscription, ask yourself: are these apps as effective as they claim to be?

“People are unaware of the differences between mindfulness apps, meditation training, wellness retreats, and psychology services,” he says.

“But the confusion also extends to which terms apply to what practices, and their use of science-based evidence. One estimate suggests that less than 15 per cent of all apps have been examined by scientific methods.”

BIG BUSINESS

Meditation-mindfulness apps are big business. According to a report by Research and Markets in 2020, the market had an estimated value of $US270.39m ($405m) and is expected to grow to $US4bn by 2027.

Australians are also app fans, especially since the pandemic, with Uswitch’s 2021 Health App Index putting Australia at the top of the list for the population most concerned about tracking their health.

Van Dam says a key factor contributing to the confusion is ambiguity around the terminology used.

“For example, ‘mindfulness’ is used by a range of professionals, but it could refer to a specific meditation practice, a broad idea of being present and aware, part of an exercise or activity used as part of a therapeutic approach, or an add-on label used as a marketing gimmick,” he says.

Melbourne University Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam. Picture: Christopher Hopkins

Another issue with apps is maintaining user interest.

“One key estimate suggests that only 10 per cent

f mindfulness and meditation app users stay engaged beyond one week of download,” he says. “Also there are so many apps and so much content that people struggle to differentiate useful content from not-so-useful content.”

Dr Catriona Davis-McCabe, president of the Australian Psychological Society, says that while there are benefits to meditation and mindfulness, they’re not a substitute for professional treatment for significant mental health issues such as depression or PTSD.

“Without engaging with a qualified psychologist, a person may not recognise the point in time when they need more specialised help than an app can offer,” she says.

Davis-McCabe adds that finding an app to best suits your needs is essential.

“Research and trial one before signing up for an expensive subscription,” says Davis-McCabe. “Identify your needs and goals, and ensure the app matches them well, remembering that what may suit one person may not suit another.”

CLEAR GOALS

Jocelyn Brewer, a psychologist from Burwood, NSW, has been using meditation-mindfulness apps for a decade. Initially, they helped with breathing and starting the day “more grounded”, but as a mum to a six-year-old, her focus now is more on getting clearer and closer to her goals.

Jocelyn Brewer always checks the evidence base or expertise any mindfulness app is created from.

“It can be quite a personal thing, especially with guided meditations, to find options that have the kind of background music or soundscape or a voice that works for you,” says the 44-year-old. “I also feel with many apps you ‘grow out’ of them and need a change to improve.”

When choosing an app, Brewer says she checks out the developer and the evidence base or expertise the app is created from.

“I look at who’s on their advisory board, what work they’ve done in the mental health space, and how they provide support and safety for those who might need extra help,” she says. “Also I look for a sense of progression within the practice and a connection with the work, and if there a person or people guiding you – as opposed to an avatar or character.”

Brewer also checks One Mind PsyberGuide to see if an app is listed. It’s a non-profit project set up in 2013 to help people navigate the mental health app marketplace.

“It’s kind of like what we look for on nutritional labels, such as who made it, what’s in it, and is it safe to consume,” she explains.

“Anyone can make an app and label it ‘wellbeing’ or ‘health’.”

Four things to consider before downloading an app:

1. Why you are downloading it?

2. Make sure it has expert meditation or mindfulness teachers, clinicians, qualified researchers, and a supportive community.

3. What does the developer do with your data?

4. Does the app “do” what you want it to do? Check into clinical foundations, features and uses.

Source: Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam

Originally published as How to ensure a mindfulness app is effective as it claims