Types of Digital Mindfulness: Improving Mental Health Among College Students – A Scoping Review

Figures & data

Figure 1 PRISMA Flow Diagram.

Notes: PRISMA figure adapted from Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ. 2021;372:n71. Creative Commons.²⁸

Table 1 JBI Critical Appraisal Tool

Authors, Published Year	JBI Critical Appraisal Tool	Study Design
[29]	84.6% (11/13)	RCT
[19]	92.3% (12/13)	RCT
[30]	88.9% (8/9)	Quasi experiment
[31]	88.9% (8/9)	Quasi-experiment
[32]	92.3% (12/13)	RCT
[33]	92.3% (12/13)	RCT
[34]	100% (13/13)	RCT
[35]	92.3% (12/13)	RCT
[36]	84.6% (11/13)	RCT
[37]	76.9% (10/13)	RCT
[38]	84.6% (11/13)	RCT

Table 2 Extraction Data

No	Authors & Year	Outcome	Country	Design	Sample	Intervention	Result
1.	[29]	Distress, college adjustment, resilience, self-efficacy	New Zealand	RCT	250 first-year university students (M:17.87 years, SD: 0.47 years; 67.6% women, 32.4% men)	App-based mindfulness meditation Instrument: 19-item College Adjustment Test, 6-item Brief Resilience Scale, 8-item New General Self-efficacy Scale	Effectively improving resilience and self efficacy, and reducing distress and college adjustment.
2.	[19]	Perceived stress, self-regulation and life satisfaction	Netherlands	RCT	64 university students mean age was 24.75 years (SD = 5.42, range: 18–48 years)	App-based mindfulness meditation Instrument: the German version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the self-regulation scale (SRS-10), and the Questionnaire for the Assessment of Happiness	Significantly decrease perceived stress, increased self-regulation and life satisfaction
3.	[30]	Depression, stress, and anxiety	Iran	Quasi experiment	68 students (mean ages= 24.29 ± 3.21 years)	Mindfulness-Based Stress Management m-Health app Instrument: Depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21)	Significantly reducing depression, stress, and anxiety.
4.	[31]	Stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion	USA	Quasi-experiment	104 participants (mean ages: 20.41)	Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App “Calm” Instrument: the Perceived Stress Scale, the Self-Compassion Survey Short-Form (SCS-SF)	Significantly reducing stress and improving mindfulness and self-compassion
5.	[32]	Weight, weight-related behaviors, and stress.	Australia	RCT	90 participants (mean ages: 20.16 years)	Mindfulness App Trial Instrument: Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ)	Effectiveness for reducing stress and eating behaviors.
6.	[33]	Stress and depression	USA	RCT	561 university students (mean ages= 21.4)	App-based mindfulness practice instrument: the Perceived Stress Scale and y the Beck Depression Inventory	Effectively reducing stress and depression
7.	[34]	Symptoms of depression	USA	RCT	72 college students (Mage = 21 years, age range: 18–48 years)	Gamification of Meditation Instrument: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9	Significantly reducing symptoms of depression
8.	[35]	Anxiety, empathy, self-compassion	Spain	RCT	154 healthcare students mean age of 23 years (SD: 4.16)	Mindfulness-based mobile app Instrument: The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS)	Significant increase in self-compassion and reducing anxiety
9.	[36]	Depression, anxiety, stress	China	RCT	120 undergraduate nursing students (mean ages 19.31 ± 0.85)	Mindfulness-based online intervention Instrument: Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21)	Significantly reduction of anxiety and stress symptoms, as well as the improvement of mindfulness level and perceived social support
10.	[37]	Mental wellbeing	China	RCT	1255 college students (mean 32.52, SD:12.41)	Internet-Based Mindfulness Training Instrument: The WHO 5-item mental wellbeing and the Mental Health Inventory	Effectively improving mental health, psychological distress, life satisfaction, and sleep disturbance.
11	[38]	Depression, anxiety, and stress	USA	RCT	54 students (mean: 23.53, SD: 3.17)	Internet-Based Mindfulness Intervention Instrument: 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale	Effectively reducing depression, anxiety, and stress

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