Mindfulness Skills

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.

The goal of this research is to test usability and user satisfaction with a new breathing feature on the meditation app, Equa, to help young adults who are distressed, understand their physiological responses and mindfulness skill development during meditation. Our main aims are to test an algorithm that can use physiologic signals to give feedback about how participant physiology is changing during guided lessons on the meditation app, Equa through: * Assessing user satisfaction and usability * Measuring how much participant mindfulness skills are improving Participants will: * Complete a survey about demographics, their thoughts and feelings before and after the mindfulness meditation program * Complete 14 smartphone guided mindfulness meditation training units while physiological measures are being recorded * A subset of participants will see a graph tracking their physiological responses from the guided meditation lesson and predictive mindfulness skill scores * Complete a few brief questionnaires before and after mindfulness practices to understand potential changes in their mindfulness skills