Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Mobile Application for Clinical Psychological Skills Training

Abstract This study aimed to (1) analyze the changes in mindfulness, empathy, and psychological distress following a mobile application (app)-based mindfulness intervention for personal and clinical skills training and (2) examine the association of satisfaction and usability with post-intervention measures, particularly of mindfulness. This was an exploratory study, with a pre-experimental design with a single group, conducted in a sample of 138 psychology students or recent graduates (age: M = 39.39, SD = 10.55; 83.3% women). Participants used the mindfulness app for 2 months, completing modules and pre- and post-module questionnaires. There was a trend towards improvement in all dimensions of mindfulness and psychological distress. Only two dimensions of empathy (empathic compassion and indifference-tranquility) showed significant changes with a small effect. Satisfaction with the information provided by the app was positively associated with action awareness ( β = .32) and non-judgment ( β = .22). Higher perceived usability of the app was associated with lower psychological distress ( β = − .26). The findings suggest promising prospects for research and technology development for personal and clinical skills training in university students using an app-based mindfulness intervention. Likewise, our study underscores the importance of usability and user satisfaction in digital interventions for mental health training.