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Review
. 2023 Dec 10;13(12):1008.
doi: 10.3390/bs13121008.

Digitally Assisted Mindfulness in Training Self-Regulation Skills for Sustainable Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Eleni Mitsea  1   2 , Athanasios Drigas  1 , Charalabos Skianis  2
Affiliations
Review

Digitally Assisted Mindfulness in Training Self-Regulation Skills for Sustainable Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Eleni Mitsea et al. Behav Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for mental health interventions, with a special focus on digitally assisted ones. Self-regulation describes a set of meta-skills that enable one to take control over his/her mental health and it is recognized as a vital indicator of well-being. Mindfulness training is a promising training strategy for promoting self-regulation, behavioral change, and mental well-being. A growing body of research outlines that smart technologies are ready to revolutionize the way mental health training programs take place. Artificial intelligence (AI); extended reality (XR) including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR); as well as the advancements in brain computer interfaces (BCIs) are ready to transform these mental health training programs. Mindfulness-based interventions assisted by smart technologies for mental, emotional, and behavioral regulation seem to be a crucial yet under-investigated issue. The current systematic review paper aims to explore whether and how smart technologies can assist mindfulness training for the development of self-regulation skills among people at risk of mental health issues as well as populations with various clinical characteristics. The PRISMA 2020 methodology was utilized to respond to the objectives and research questions using a total of sixty-six experimental studies that met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that digitally assisted mindfulness interventions supported by smart technologies, including AI-based applications, chatbots, virtual coaches, immersive technologies, and brain-sensing headbands, can effectively assist trainees in developing a wide range of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral self-regulation skills, leading to a greater satisfaction of their psychological needs, and thus mental wellness. These results may provide positive feedback for developing smarter and more inclusive training environments, with a special focus on people with special training needs or disabilities.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; augmented reality; biofeedback; brain-sensing headbands; chatGPT; chatbots; digital mindfulness; extended reality; internet of things; metaverse; mixed reality; self-regulation; sustainable wellness; virtual reality.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Metacognition, emotional intelligence, and motivations constitute the building blocks for self-regulation in mindfulness training.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The main metacognitive components of mindfulness training.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The top trending smart technologies as assistive tools in mental health training programs.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The PRISMA flow diagram.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The central domains of self-regulation development according to the selected studies.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The number of studies per country.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The production of studies between the years 2015 and 2023 (August).
Figure 8
Figure 8
The core domains of regulation affected by AI-assisted mindfulness.
Figure 9
Figure 9
The core domains of regulation affected by XR-assisted mindfulness.
Figure 10
Figure 10
The core self-regulation skills trained during BCI-assisted mindfulness.
Figure 11
Figure 11
AΙ-powered mindfulness: opportunities and challenges.
Figure 12
Figure 12
XR-assisted mindfulness: opportunities and challenges.
Figure 13
Figure 13
BCI-assisted mindfulness: opportunities and challenges.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Digitally assisted mindfulness and metacognitive control allowed subjects to effectively manage dysfunctional thoughts and emotions, allowing the externalization of self-regulated behaviors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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This research received no external funding.