Mindfulness and problem-solving therapy may be more effective

The levels of stress experienced by people living in many countries worldwide, particularly by those inhabiting urban areas, have risen exponentially over the past decades. This has led to the development of numerous technological tools designed to improve users’ mental health and provide stress relief.

Smartphone applications designed to reduce rumination and worry, foster a greater sense of presence and help people to make positive lifestyle changes aimed at reducing the stress they are experiencing, could be highly advantageous. As they are easy to access and are typically either free or more affordable than in-person psychotherapy, mobile-based, self-administered stress relief practices and stress-reduction programs have become increasingly popular.

While many people regularly use these apps, the extent to which they are effective in reducing stress and improving people’s quality of life has not yet been clearly elucidated. Moreover, most past studies assessing their effectiveness focused on either one or a few available applications, rather than comparing many different types of applications.

Researchers at Peking University recently carried out a review study and meta-analysis of previous literature assessing the effectiveness of mobile applications for stress management. Their paper, published in Nature Human Behaviour, sheds light on the types of self-administered practices that appear to be most beneficial and effective for stress relief.

“The increasing prevalence of stress underscores the demand for effective, self-administered mobile mental health interventions, yet their efficacy and accessibility are still unclear,” Huanya Zhu, Qiang Chen and their colleagues wrote in their paper. “This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to classify self-administered mobile stress management interventions, compare their efficacy and examine their moderators.”

As part of their study, Zhu, Chen and their colleagues reviewed a large pool of research papers assessing the effectiveness of smartphone apps for stress reduction, all of which were published in reputable scientific journals. They found these papers by browsing various large and well-known scientific databases, including PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycARTICLES, from the date in which they were established up until the 20th of November 2023.

“Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials on peer-reviewed, Internet-based, self-administered psychological interventions for stress reduction in healthy or subhealthy adults,” explained Zhu, Chen and their colleagues.

“A total of 63 studies with 20,454 participants were included (68.18% female; mean age 39.14 years). Integrated expert insights with large language models to develop a three-dimensional framework encompassing theoretical foundation, human support and mobile technology. Intervention labels were independently coded by the authors and ChatGPT. The included studies’ quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool.”

After assessing the quality of the 63 papers included in their review study, the researchers collectively analyzed the findings reported in them using Bayesian statistical techniques, well-known mathematical methods based on Bayes’ theorem. This allowed them to compare the efficacy of different mobile applications for stress reduction, while also identifying factors that could moderate their effectiveness.

“The framework classified and compared 19 mobile stress interventions, identifying key moderating factors for optimization,” wrote Zhu, Chen and their colleagues. “Stress management programs, problem-solving therapy and mindfulness meditation ranked the top. There was no conclusive evidence that human support or mobile technology significantly enhanced intervention outcomes. The evidence is subject to sex imbalance and quality risk, while the limited statistical power of meta-regression warrants caution in interpreting moderator effects.”

Overall, the findings of this recent study suggest that some smartphone applications for stress reduction could be effective in reducing stress, particularly for individuals who do not need urgent psychiatric care and cannot afford psychotherapy or other mental health services.

The types of applications that appeared to be most effective were those rooted in a branch of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) known as problem-solving therapy (PST), stress management programs and mindfulness meditation practices.

The results of the meta-analysis carried out by Zhu, Chen and their colleagues could soon inspire the development of new mobile applications aimed at boosting people’s well-being and helping them to manage stress. In addition, it could inform efforts aimed at improving existing applications, by introducing new features based on the practices that the team found to be most beneficial.

© 2025 Science X Network

The levels of stress experienced by people living in many countries worldwide, particularly by those inhabiting urban areas, have risen exponentially over the past decades. This has led to the development of numerous technological tools designed to improve users’ mental health and provide stress relief.

Smartphone applications designed to reduce rumination and worry, foster a greater sense of presence and help people to make positive lifestyle changes aimed at reducing the stress they are experiencing, could be highly advantageous. As they are easy to access and are typically either free or more affordable than in-person psychotherapy, mobile-based, self-administered stress relief practices and stress-reduction programs have become increasingly popular.

While many people regularly use these apps, the extent to which they are effective in reducing stress and improving people’s quality of life has not yet been clearly elucidated. Moreover, most past studies assessing their effectiveness focused on either one or a few available applications, rather than comparing many different types of applications.

Researchers at Peking University recently carried out a review study and meta-analysis of previous literature assessing the effectiveness of mobile applications for stress management. Their paper, published in Nature Human Behaviour, sheds light on the types of self-administered practices that appear to be most beneficial and effective for stress relief.

“The increasing prevalence of stress underscores the demand for effective, self-administered mobile mental health interventions, yet their efficacy and accessibility are still unclear,” Huanya Zhu, Qiang Chen and their colleagues wrote in their paper. “This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to classify self-administered mobile stress management interventions, compare their efficacy and examine their moderators.”

As part of their study, Zhu, Chen and their colleagues reviewed a large pool of research papers assessing the effectiveness of smartphone apps for stress reduction, all of which were published in reputable scientific journals. They found these papers by browsing various large and well-known scientific databases, including PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycARTICLES, from the date in which they were established up until the 20th of November 2023.

“Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials on peer-reviewed, Internet-based, self-administered psychological interventions for stress reduction in healthy or subhealthy adults,” explained Zhu, Chen and their colleagues.

“A total of 63 studies with 20,454 participants were included (68.18% female; mean age 39.14 years). Integrated expert insights with large language models to develop a three-dimensional framework encompassing theoretical foundation, human support and mobile technology. Intervention labels were independently coded by the authors and ChatGPT. The included studies’ quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool.”

After assessing the quality of the 63 papers included in their review study, the researchers collectively analyzed the findings reported in them using Bayesian statistical techniques, well-known mathematical methods based on Bayes’ theorem. This allowed them to compare the efficacy of different mobile applications for stress reduction, while also identifying factors that could moderate their effectiveness.

“The framework classified and compared 19 mobile stress interventions, identifying key moderating factors for optimization,” wrote Zhu, Chen and their colleagues. “Stress management programs, problem-solving therapy and mindfulness meditation ranked the top. There was no conclusive evidence that human support or mobile technology significantly enhanced intervention outcomes. The evidence is subject to sex imbalance and quality risk, while the limited statistical power of meta-regression warrants caution in interpreting moderator effects.”

Overall, the findings of this recent study suggest that some smartphone applications for stress reduction could be effective in reducing stress, particularly for individuals who do not need urgent psychiatric care and cannot afford psychotherapy or other mental health services.

The types of applications that appeared to be most effective were those rooted in a branch of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) known as problem-solving therapy (PST), stress management programs and mindfulness meditation practices.

The results of the meta-analysis carried out by Zhu, Chen and their colleagues could soon inspire the development of new mobile applications aimed at boosting people’s well-being and helping them to manage stress. In addition, it could inform efforts aimed at improving existing applications, by introducing new features based on the practices that the team found to be most beneficial.

© 2025 Science X Network