STEPS - Stress Training and Engagement Via Phone-Based Systems

Summary

This study will evaluate engagement, usability, and psychological outcomes associated with participation in smartphone-based stress management or mindfulness training program among young adults. The study will compare multiple versions of a digital training program delivered through the Equa mobile application. Participants will be individually randomized to one of several app-based training programs using a stratified randomization procedure. Each program consists of guided daily lessons completed over a 14-day period and is designed to support stress management and well-being through structured skill development activities. Primary objectives include evaluating user satisfaction and usability of the digital platform and assessing changes in mindfulness-related skills and mental distress over time. Participants will: Complete surveys assessing demographics and psychological well-being at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Complete a 14-day smartphone-delivered training program consisting of guided lessons while physiological data are collected using wearable sensors. Some participants may receive additional in-app features designed to support personalized learning or engagement with training lessons. Some participants will complete brief questionnaires before and after selected lessons to assess short-term changes associated with lesson participation.

Detailed Description

Investigators will recruit young adults to participate in a study examining usability, engagement, and psychological outcomes associated with smartphone-based stress management or mindfulness training programs. Participants will be informed that the study examines physiological responses during guided digital training lessons. At study entry, participants will complete an online survey assessing demographics, prior meditation and stress-management experience, and psychological well-being. Participants will complete similar questionnaires at post-intervention and one-month follow-up, including measures of user satisfaction and usability of the digital training platform using standardized instruments (e.g., System Usability Scale and Mobile App Rating Scale). Participants will be individually randomized to one of several 14-day app-based training programs delivered through the Equa platform. During training lessons, physiological data (e.g., motion-derived signals) will be collected using smartphone sensors to characterize physiological responses associated with lesson participation. Some participants may receive additional in-app features designed to provide personalized information or feedback related to lesson engagement or training progress. These features are delivered automatically through the application following lesson completion. Physiological and questionnaire measures will allow investigators to evaluate usability, engagement, and changes in mindfulness-related skills and psychological well-being associated with participation in the training programs.

Eligibility Criteria

Interventions