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Smiling Mind App Learning Hub
 

Our Research Approach

The intentional cultivation of mindfulness is a pursuit that has existed in non-secular and secular forms for many thousands of years.

The practice has continued to evolve in its modern form and as a company we are committed to evaluating the benefits of both digital and in person mindfulness training. We use the learnings from this research to inform the programs we develop so that we can deliver the most robust and evidence based programs to schools, homes and the world.

 
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State of Mind: Shaping the future of mental wellbeing for families

The 2024 State of Mind Report undertakes a crucial exploration of the mental health of Australian children aged 4-12 and their caregivers, highlighting the pressing challenges they face. Caregivers often grapple with heightened stress and anxiety, which can directly influence their children's wellbeing. 

Together with KPMG, we’re shining a light on families’ unique challenges and needs to provide valuable insights into how to better support them to promote mental wellbeing from an early age.

 

Checking in on the everyday mental wellbeing of Australians

The index provides insight into the everyday mental wellbeing of Australia – exploring the factors that contribute to mental wellbeing and how Australians can proactively boost mental wellbeing.

 
 

Smiling Mind Impact Overview

Smiling Mind continuously evaluates the effectiveness of our digital and in-person mental health programs. Through ongoing research, we ensure our programs are evidence-based and impactful, benefiting schools, homes, and communities.

 

Are you a researcher interested in collaborating with us?

Smiling Mind is looking to partner with academics to conduct high quality scientific research exploring the impact of digitally delivered mindfulness on different populations in  different environments. If you are a researcher interested in collaborating with us please complete our Smiling Mind Research Collaboration form. We will review your proposal and come back to you with our thoughts. 

We are currently not accepting new requests to collaborate

 
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Our research interests include:

 
 

Impact of regular use of the Smiling Mind app

Impact of the Smiling Mind mindfulness-based social and emotional learning school program

Impact of the Smiling Mind workplace program

 

User app behaviour

Impact of the Smiling Mind sleep program

Impact of the Smiling Mind app on young people

 
 

Research using Smiling Mind

The Smiling Mind app has been used in research to deliver mindfulness to a number of different populations including wheel-chair basketball players, university students, and clinical pediatric populations.

References:

  • Byambasuren, O., Beller, E., Hoffmann, T., & Glasziou, P. (2020). mHealth App Prescription in Australian General Practice: Pre-Post Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(6), e16497. DOI: 10.2196.16497
  • Crandall, A., Cheung, A., Young, A., & Hooper, A. P. (2019). Theory-Based Predictors of Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App Usage: A Survey and Cohort Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 7(3), e10794. DOI:10.2196/10794
  • Flett, J. A., Hayne, H., Riordan, B. C., Thompson, L. M., & Conner, T. S. (2019). Mobile mindfulness meditation: a randomised controlled trial of the effect of two popular apps on mental health. Mindfulness, 10(5), 863-876. DOI:10.1007/S12671-018-1050-9
  • Lanz, J., Friston, K., Hoffert, K., & Carillo k. (2019). Reducing Burnout through a Mindful Meditation Mobile App: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Science, 7(2), 66-73 DOI:10.15640/jpbs.v7n2a1
  • MacDonald, L. A., & Minahan, C. L. (2018). Mindfulness training attenuates the increase in salivary cortisol concentration associated with competition in highly trained wheelchair-basketball players. Journal of sports sciences, 36(4), 378-383. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2017.1308001
  • MacDonald, L. A., Oprescu, F., & Kean, B. M. (2018). An evaluation of the effects of mindfulness training from the perspectives of wheelchair basketball players. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 37(1), 188-195. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.11.013
  • Reid, N., Harnett, P., O’Callaghan, F., Shelton, D., Wyllie, M., & Dawe, S. (2019). Physiological self-regulation and mindfulness in children with a diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Developmental neurorehabilitation, 22(4), 228-233. DOI: 10.1080/17518423.2018.1461948
  • Yaari, M., Sheehan, J., Oberklaid, F., & Hiscock, H. (2019). Early Minds: a pilot randomised controlled trial of a mindfulness program in early learning centres. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 5(1), 81. DOI: 10.1186/s40814-019-0463-0
 

Research using Smiling Mind as a part of a larger program

Smiling Mind has been mentioned by numerous researchers as a useful app for practicing mindfulness for individuals, a popular way to practice mindfulness at school, and a useful app for promoting relaxation in pediatric populations. 

References:

  • Arthurson, K. (2015). Teaching mindfulness to year sevens as part of health and personal development. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(5), 2. DOI:10.14221/ajte.2015v40n5.2
  • Bei, B., Pinnington, D. M., Shen, L., Blumfield, M., Drummond, S. P., Newman, L. K., & Manber, R. (2019). A scalable cognitive behavioural program to promote healthy sleep during pregnancy and postpartum periods: protocol of a randomised controlled trial (the SEED project). BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 19(1), 254. DOI:10.1186/s12884-019-2390-8.
  • Burn, M., Lewis, A., McDonald, L., & Toumbourou, J. W. (2019). An Australian adaptation of the Strengthening Families Program: Parent and child mental health outcomes from a pilot study. Australian Psychologist, 54(4), 261–271. DOI:10.1111/ap.12385
 

Research discussing Smiling Mind

Meditations from the Smiling Mind app have been incorporated into programs which promote sleep, strengthening families, and mindfulness for adolescents.

References:

  • Bannirchelvam, B., Bell, K. L., & Costello, S. (2017). A qualitative exploration of primary school students’ experience and utilisation of mindfulness. Contemporary School Psychology, 21(4), 304-316. DOI: 10.1007/s40688-017-0141-2
  • Bailey, N. W., Chambers, R., Wootten, A., & Hassed, C. S. (2018). Commentary Regarding Johnson et al.(2017)“A Randomized Controlled Evaluation of a Secondary School Mindfulness Program for Early Adolescents: Do We Have the Recipe Right Yet?”. Mindfulness, 9(5), 1668-1670. DOI: 10.1007/s12671-018-0936-x
  • Beames, R, J., Johnston, L, O’Dea, B, Torok, M, Boydell, K, Christensen, H & Werner-Seidler, A (2020). Addressing the mental health of school students: Perspectives of secondary school teachers and counselors, International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, DOI: 10.1080/21683603.2020.1838367
  • Carlo AD, Hosseini Ghomi R, Renn BN, Strong MA, Areán PA. Assessment of Real-World Use of Behavioral Health Mobile Applications by a Novel Stickiness Metric. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(8):e2011978, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.11978
  • Culbert, T. (2017). Perspectives on Technology-Assisted Relaxation Approaches to Support Mind-Body Skills Practice in Children and Teens. Clinical Experience and Commentary. Children, 4(4), 20. DOI: 10.3390/children4040020
  • Halliday, A. J., Kern, M. L., Garrett, D. K., & Turnbull, D. A. (2019). The student voice in well-being: a case study of participatory action research in positive education. Educational Action Research, 27(2), 173-196. DOI: 10.1080/09650792.2018.1436079
  • Koppel, S., Stephens, A. N., Young, K. L., Hua, P., Chambers, R., & Hassed, C. (2018). What is the relationship between self-reported aberrant driving behaviors, mindfulness, and self-reported crashes and infringements?. Traffic injury prevention, 19(5), 480-487. DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2018.1440083
  • Mani, M., Kavanagh, D. J., Hides, L., & Stoyanov, S. R. (2015). Review and Evaluation of Mindfulness-Based iPhone Apps. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. JMIR, 3(3), e82. DOI: 10.2196/mhealth.4328
  • 3 Nunes, A., Castro, S.L. & Limpo, T. (2020). A Review of Mindfulness-Based Apps for Children. Mindfulness 11, 2089–2101. DOI: 10.1007/s12671-020-01410-w
  • Stec, M. A., Arbour, M. W., & Hines, H. F. (2019). Client‐Centered Mobile Health Care Applications: Using the Mobile Application Rating Scale Instrument for Evidence‐Based Evaluation. Journal of midwifery & women's health.64(3), 324–329. DOI: 10.1111/jmwh.12941
  • Weekly, T., Walker, N., Beck, J., Akers, S., & Weaver, M. (2018). A review of apps for calming, relaxation, and mindfulness interventions for pediatric palliative care patients. Children, 5(2), 16. DOI: 10.3390/children5020016