Date Presented 03/22/24
This study explored the effects of a 4-week mindfulness app-based intervention on measures of parental stress, sleep, and sensory processing patterns.
Primary Author and Speaker: Megan C. C. Chang
Additional Authors and Speakers: Emily Boykin, Molly Cluff, Devin Cornish, Laura Labrador, Winnie Lee, Taylor McLaughlin
INTRODUCTION: Parenting responsibilities impact stress levels and can negatively influence sleep and other occupations (United States Census Bureau, 2020). Additionally, parenthood can contribute to sensory overload, which presents as sensory processing associated issues in parents (Aron et al., 2019). Mindfulness is a possible intervention to ameliorate the challenges of increased stress, poor sleep quality, and heightened sensory processing characteristics (Economides et al., 2018). Hence, this quasi-experimental study examines the feasibility and impacts of mindfulness app intervention on parental stress and sleep and the relationships between sensory processing characteristics.
METHODOLOGY: 11 parents participated in a four-week self-guided mindfulness intervention utilizing the UCLA Mindful App. Prior to and after the intervention, all participants completed a baseline of four standardized assessments: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse et al., 1989), the Perceived Stress Scale(Cohen et al., 1983), the Adult Sensory Processing Scale (Blanche et al., 2014), and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003).
RESULTS: Results indicated a marginally significant increase in mindfulness awareness post-intervention (p = 0.052), a statistically significant increase in the average hours of sleep per night (p = 0.014), and a statistically significant decrease in perceived stress (p = 0.027). Specific aspects of sensory processing were significantly correlated with aspects of mindfulness state, perceived stress, and sleep.
DISCUSSION: Results indicate that the UCLA Mindful app offers an accessible entry-level option for parents, which may be especially beneficial for occupational therapists to make such suggestions. Results suggest the need for further research on investigating specific lengths and frequency for app usage and including a diverse and representative sample population.
References
Economides, M., Martman, J., Bell, M. J., & Sanderson, B. (2018). Improvements in stress, affect, and irritability following brief use of a mindfulness-based smartphone app: A randomized controlled trial. Mindfulness, 9(5), 1584–1593.
Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) for improving health, quality of life, and social functioning in adults. Campbell Systematic Review, 8(1), 1–127.
Aron, E., Aron, A., Nardone, N., & Zhou, S. (2019). Sensory processing sensitivity and the subjective experience of parenting: An exploratory study. Family Relations, 68(4), 420–435. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12370
Flett, J. A. M., Hayne, H., Riordan, B. C., Thompson, L. M., & Conner, T. S. (2018). Mobile mindfulness meditation: A randomized controlled trial of the effect of two popular apps on mental health. Mindfulness, 10(5), 863–876.
