The Gamification of Meditation: A Randomized-Controlled Study of a Prescribed Mobile Mindfulness Meditation Application in Reducing College Students’ Depression

Matthew T. Fish and Amelia D. Saul

Simulation & Gaming, 2019, vol. 50, issue 4, 419-435

Abstract: Objective. Roughly 35% of college students report depression as a significant concern , which unaddressed, can lead to an increased likelihood to quit school and develop comorbid conditions. Traditional depression interventions are useful; however, they are often expensive, stigmatizing, tedious, and time-intensive. We examined a prescribed mindfulness meditation regimen , which incorporates gamification principles, in reducing symptoms of depression compared to a control group. Materials and methods. We recruited and randomly assigned 72 college students to an experimental group (n = 33) or a control group (n = 39). The prescription for experimfiental group participants was ten 10-minute mobile mindfulness meditation sessions over a 14-day period; control group participants continued with business as usual. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to test our hypothesis. Results. Repeated-measures ANOVA demonstrated a significant interaction of group by time for depression scores , supporting the hypothesis that experimental group participants would significantly decrease their depression symptom severity compared to control group participants post-intervention. Within-subjects contrasts and between-group analyses showed a significant decrease in depression symptom severity scores. Conclusion. Prescribed use of a gamified mindfulness meditation application significantly decreased depression symptom severity as measured by the PHQ-9. College students and mental health providers should consider these fun, inexpensive, and non-stigmatizing applications as a feasible intervention for college students to improve symptoms associated with depression .

Keywords: depression; gamification; headspace; mindfulness; meditation; mindfulness meditation; patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:simgam:v:50:y:2019:i:4:p:419-435

DOI: 10.1177/1046878119851821

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