Psychology research team explores impact of mindfulness apps

Dr. Alexander Daros and the MAST Lab published research showing value in interim supports for those waiting for psychological services

(photo care of Alexander Daros)

As demand for mental health care rises in hospitals and private practice, waitlists for these essential services continue to grow. 

That’s why assistant professor of psychology, Alexander Daros, and his research team began investigating innovative interim solutions to support people while they wait. 

“It is critical to be able to offer some resources while people wait for services,” Dr. Daros explained. “You don't want people to fall through the cracks. One concern is that if someone is not able to get the right support right away, they may not come back or may further deteriorate.” 

To address this issue, a recent study out of the Mental Health, Affective Science, and Technology Lab (MAST) Lab, led by Daros, explored the effectiveness of a mindfulness phone application in supporting those waiting for psychological services. 

“We wanted to see if people would use a mindfulness app while waiting for these services to at least start getting some treatment while they wait,” said Daros. 

The AmDTx app, developed by Toronto-based company Mobio Interactive, offers users guided meditation, audio lessons, reminders to engage in meditation practice, journalling capabilities and more. 

Daros noted that while research has already shown promise for the effectiveness of mindfulness apps, more long-term studies about their use and uptake were needed. 

“Most studies focus on users that self-select into downloading the app for themselves,” he explained. “We were focused on whether those waiting for services would take up our offer of a professionally developed free mindfulness app.” 

The research team recruited 193 participants with moderate depression and anxiety for a four-week clinical trial, following up with them eight weeks later. 

According to the researchers’ findings, the 70 per cent of users who engaged with the app in the first four weeks rated it as “credible, easy to use and acceptable." 

On average, users saw their symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and repetitive negative thinking reduced over the 12-week period. The more meditation hours participants recorded, the greater their improvement.  

“That's a pretty powerful demonstration suggesting that for those who really started to use the mindfulness app as an interim tool, they achieved quite substantial benefits,” said Daros. 

Going forward, the MAST Lab team are continuing to unpack the findings of this clinical trial, including digging into relationships between the app’s benefits and various demographic factors.  

They are also looking at the most effective ways to offer or “prescribe” this type of interim support to those encountering waitlists in hospitals or community settings. 

While the study cautions that the use of an app cannot replace clinical interventions, for those waiting for psychological services, it suggests that mindfulness apps can be a valuable interim measure.  

By Kate Hargreaves 

Courtesy: https://www.uwindsor.ca/news/2025-10-09/psychology-research-team-explores-impact-mindfulness-apps

To learn more about the MAST Lab and their research, visit their website. The full study is available open access via BMC Digital Health. 

Alexander Daros