Effects of Mindfulness-of-Death Meditation on Problematic Smartphone Use in Emerging Adulthood
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 259
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Smartphone Addiction Scale
Study Overview
Brief Summary
As the primary users of smartphones, emerging adults represent a key population for such research. Using a randomised controlled trial, the investigators compared mindfulness-of-death meditation with traditional mindfulness meditation to evaluate the unique effects of the former on problematic smartphone use. The investigators also examined potential psychological pathways-namely increases in self-esteem and meaning in life, and reductions in perceived stress-through which the intervention may exert its benefits.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 29 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Inclusion criteria were adults aged 18-29 years who:
- •reported no current or past psychiatric diagnosis,
- •exhibited problematic smartphone use,
- •and had a mean daily screen-on time exceeding four hours.
Exclusion Criteria
- •were as follows:
- •aged <18 or ≥30 years;
- •any current or past psychiatric diagnosis;
- •self-reported absence of problematic smartphone use;
- •mean daily smartphone use ≤4 hours;
- •currently enrolled in any meditation-based intervention;
- •use of psychoactive medication or concurrent psychological treatment;
- •participation in another psychological intervention trial.
Arms & Interventions
Mindfulness-Meditation Intervention Group
A 16-day mindfulness-based curriculum was implemented as the intervention, with participants completing one 20-min session daily via the online platform.
Intervention: Mindful Breathing Practice (MBP) - 16-Day Online Meditation Course (Behavioral)
Mindfulness-of-Death Group
A 16-day mindfulness-of-death curriculum was implemented as the intervention, with participants completing one 20 min online session daily.
Intervention: Mindfulness of Death (MoD) - 16-Day Online Meditation Course (Behavioral)
Wait-list Control Group
Wait-list Control Group
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Smartphone Addiction Scale
Time Frame: Baseline, post-intervention (Day 16), and one-month follow-up
Participants' problematic smartphone use was assessed using the 33-item Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) \[Kwon et al., 2013\]. Although the original scale employed a 6-point response format, the present study utilized a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always; α = .88). The scale comprises six dimensions: daily disturbance, positive anticipation, withdrawal symptoms, online intimacy, excessive use, and tolerance. Higher total scores indicate greater severity of problematic smartphone use.
Secondary Outcomes
- Perceived Stress Scale-10(Baseline, post-intervention (Day 16), and one-month follow-up)
- Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale(Baseline, post-intervention (Day 16), and one-month follow-up)
- Self-Control Scale for College Students(Baseline, post-intervention (Day 16), and one-month follow-up)
- Boredom Proneness Scale-Short Form(Baseline, post-intervention (Day 16), and one-month follow-up)
- Three-Dimensional Meaning in Life Scale(Baseline, post-intervention (Day 16), and one-month follow-up)
- Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory(Baseline, post-intervention (Day 16), and one-month follow-up)
Investigators
li,xinyi
Co-Investigator
Beijing Normal University