Using a mindfulness-based mobile application : its effect on perceived stress and the mediation role of emotion regulation among Hong Kong workers

Abstract

Mindfulness-based mobile applications have been increasingly popular in recent years and there is a growing body of research examining the efficacy of such applications on stress reduction. As Hong Kong workers often face a high level of stress, there is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of a locally-developed mindfulness-based application in reducing stress. Further exploration is also needed about the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress. To address these issues, the experiment was conducted in two phases in the current study. Phase 1 addresses the relationship between trait mindfulness and perceived stress, and whether emotion regulation strategies mediate the relationship. The results show that there is a significant inverse relationship between trait mindfulness and perceived stress. Cognitive reappraisal turns out to be significant mediator in this relationship, but not expressive suppression. Phase 2 examines the efficacy a mindfulness-based application in reducing stress. Participants were randomly assigned to the experiment condition with a mindfulness-based mobile application or an active control condition with online relaxation music. The results reveal a significant increase in trait mindfulness and significant decrease in perceived stress in both conditions, but the changes were not found to be greater in the mindfulness-based mobile application group.