High schoolers and dating issues: examining the effectiveness of an app-based mindfulness intervention

ABSTRACT

This article reports a study comparing the impact of a mindfulness app in mitigating dating anxieties and promoting self-esteem, healthy relationships and school satisfaction among high schoolers vis-à-vis a relationship advice app. A pre- and post-test-design study was conducted with high schoolers in two South Asian cities. Participants of the relationship advice app cohort reported no significant changes in post-test outcomes. Participants of the mindfulness app cohort reported significantly lower post-test dating anxiety scores and higher self-esteem, perceived support and school satisfaction scores. Particularly, the mindfulness app was more effective for high school girls, Christians, middle class students, high schoolers with mothers as primary caregivers, participants whose primary caregivers had postgraduate and higher qualifications, who lived in standard family set-ups with parents and siblings, and who were regular in reading mindfulness posts and doing the recommended homework. Intervention compliance mediated the association between significant socio-demographic predictors and gains/changes in outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• High schoolers
• dating issues
• self-esteem
• relationships
• mindfulness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).