A Scoping Review of Interactive Mindfulness Technologies for Mental Wellbeing:Considerations from HCI and Psychology

There has been a growing interest in the fields of Psychology and Human- Computer Interaction (HCI) to develop interactive technologies to facilitate the practice of mindfulness, which has shown significant benefits for physical and mental wellbeing. However, there has been limited academic work evaluating the distinct approaches taken from both fields, and in what way they could benefit each other. In this paper, we present a scoping review of interactive biofeedback mindfulness technologies for enhancing mental wellbeing. We performed a literature search using the main academic databases in Psychology and HCI, retrieving all papers written in English and published since the beginning of the literature until January 2020. This abstract presents preliminary findings from the analysis of 131 articles (the initial search elicited 236 articles, from which 105 duplicates were identified and removed). We aim to contribute in three ways: (1) by providing a scoping review of interactive mindfulness technologies for mental wellbeing, (2) by presenting a comparative analysis of the design considerations taken to highlight the gaps and opportunities between the approaches in psychology and HCI, and (3) providing implications for designing such technologies to enhance mental wellbeing

Interoceptive Interaction:An Embodied Metaphor Inspired Approach to Designing for Meditation

Meditation is a mind-body practice with considerable wellbeing benefits which can take different forms. Novices usually start with focused attention meditation that supports regulation of attention towards an inward focus or internal bodily sensations and away from external stimuli or distractors. Most meditation technologies employ metaphorical mappings of meditative states to visual or soundscape representations to support awareness of mind wandering and attention regulation, although the rationale for such mappings is seldom articulated. Moreover, such external modalities also take the focus attention away from the body. We advance the concept of interoceptive interaction and employed the embodied metaphor theory to explore the design of mappings to the interoceptive sense of thermoception. We illustrate this concept with WarmMind, an on-body interface integrating heat actuators for mapping meditation states. We report on an exploratory study with 10 participants comparing our novel thermal metaphors for mapping meditation states with comparable ones, albeit in aural modality, as provided by Muse meditation app. Findings indicate a tension between the highly discoverable soundscape’s metaphors which however hinder attention regulation, and the ambiguous thermal metaphors experienced as coming from the body, and supported attention regulation. We discuss the qualities of embodied metaphors underpinning this tension and propose an initial framework to inform the design of metaphorical mappings for meditation technologies

A Mindfulness-Based Brain-Computer Interface Augmenting Mandala Coloring for Depression:Protocol for a Single-Case Experimental Design

Background: The regular practice of mindfulness has been shown to provide benefits for mental wellbeing and to prevent depression relapse. Technology mediated interventions can facilitate the uptake and sustained practice of mindfulness, yet the evaluation of interactive systems such as brain-computer interfaces has been little explored. Objective: The objective of this paper is to present an interactive mindfulness-based technology to improve mental wellbeing in people who have suffered from depression. The system, Anima, is a brain-computer interface that augments mandala coloring by providing a generative color palette based on the unfolding mindfulness states during the practice. In addition, the paper outlines a multiple-baseline, single-case experimental design methodology to evaluate training effectiveness. Methods: Adult participants who have suffered from depression in the past, have finished treatment within the last year, and can provide informed consent will be available to be recruited. The Anima system, consisting of two tablets and a non-intrusive mental activity headband, will be delivered to participants to use for the study. Measures include mindfulness state and trait, depression symptoms, mental wellbeing, and user experience and will be taken throughout the baseline, intervention, and monitoring phases. The data collection will take place in the form of a questionnaire pre and post each mandala coloring session, and a semi-structured interview every two weeks. Trial results will be analyzed using structured visual analysis, supplemented with statistical analysis appropriate to single-case methodology. Results: Study results will offer new insights into the deployment and evaluation of novel interactive brain-computer interfaces for mindfulness training in the context of mental health. Moreover, findings will validate the effectiveness of this training protocol to improve the mental wellbeing of people who have suffered from depression. Participants will be recruited locally through the National Health Services. Conclusions: Evidence will assist in the design and evaluation of brain-computer interfaces and mindfulness technologies for mental wellbeing, and its necessary services to support people who have suffered from depression

Evaluating Mindfulness Meditation Apps

Mindfulness meditation has significant benefits for health and well-being but requires training. A wealth of mindfulness meditation apps have been developed in the last years. However, there has been limited academic work evaluating these technologies. This paper reports an auto-ethnographic and expert evaluation study of 16 most popular iPhone mindfulness apps. Findings indicate that these apps focus mostly on guided meditation with limited support for monitoring intrinsic meditation processes and measuring the effectiveness of the training. We propose a more nuanced discourse around such apps concluding with implications for design including new tools for supporting intrinsic meditation processes and bodily kinetic aspects fostering mindfulness, together with the call for developing guidelines for evaluating the effectiveness of such applications

Digital Wellbeing:Evaluating Mandala Coloring Apps

Over the last decade there has been a significant growth of consumer products to support and promote both physical and mental wellbeing. The most common approach consists of smartphone applications that can be easily adopted in daily life interactions. Generally, these apps translate traditional approaches for wellbeing into the digital realm, yet many times overlooking the importance of tailored design for wellbeing. We explore this translation from physical to digital by using the example of mandala coloring, a historic practice used as an instrument for mental wellbeing. In this position paper, we discuss the concept of digital wellbeing drawing from our findings from an auto-ethnographic and heuristic evaluation of the 14 best rated iOS apps for mandala coloring in the UK. We believe that future digital experiences should be designed with the aim of enhancing human potential, hence we consider key features for positive interactions that lead to digital wellbeing

Functionality of Top-Rated Mobile Apps for Depression:Systematic Search and Evaluation

Background: In the last decade, there has been a proliferation of mobile apps claiming to support the needs of people living with depression. However, it is unclear what functionality apps for depression actually provide and for whom they are intended. Objective: This paper aims to explore the key features of top-rated apps for depression, including descriptive characteristics, functionality, and ethical concerns in order to support better-informed design of apps for depression. Methods: We reviewed top-rated iOS and Android mobile apps for depression retrieved from app marketplaces in spring 2019. We applied a systematic analysis to review the selected apps, for which data was gathered from the two marketplaces, and through direct use of the apps. We report an in-depth analysis of app functionality, namely: screening, tracking, and provision of interventions. Of the initially identified 482 apps, 29 apps met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Apps were included if they remained accessible at the moment of evaluation, were offered in mental health relevant categories, received a review score greater than 4.0 out of 5.0 contributed by more than 100 reviewers, and have depression as a primary target. Results: The analysis revealed that a majority of apps specify the evidence-base for their intervention (62%, 18/29) while a smaller proportion describe receiving clinical input into their design (41%, 12/29). All selected apps are rated as suitable for children and adolescents on the marketplace, but 83% (24/29) do not provide a privacy policy consistent with their rating. Findings also show that most apps provide multiple functions. The most commonly implemented functions include provision of interventions (83%, 24/29) either as digitalized therapeutic intervention or as support for mood expression, tracking (66%, 19/29) of moods, thoughts or behaviors for supporting the intervention, and screening (31%, 9/29) to inform the decision to use the app and its intervention. Some apps include overtly negative content. Conclusions: Currently available top-ranked apps for depression on the major marketplaces provide diverse functionality to benefit users across a range of age groups, however guidelines and frameworks are still needed to ensure users’ privacy and safety while using them. Suggestions include clearly defining the age of the target population and explicit disclosure of the sharing of users’ sensitive data with third parties. Additionally, we found an opportunity for apps to better leverage digital affordances for mitigating harm, for personalizing interventions, and for tracking multimodal content. The study further demonstrates the need to consider potential risks while using depression apps, including the use of non-validated screening tools, tracking negative moods or thinking patterns, and exposing users to negative emotional expression content

Retracing the molecular basis and evolutionary history of the loss of benzaldehyde emission in the genus Capsella

The transition from pollinator‐mediated outbreeding to selfing has occurred many times in angiosperms. This is generally accompanied by a reduction in traits attracting pollinators, including reduced emission of floral scent. In Capsella, emission of benzaldehyde as a main component of floral scent has been lost in selfing C. rubella by mutation of cinnamate‐CoA ligase CNL1. However, the biochemical basis and evolutionary history of this loss remain unknown, as does the reason for the absence of benzaldehyde emission in the independently derived selfer Capsella orientalis. We used plant transformation, in vitro enzyme assays, population genetics and quantitative genetics to address these questions. CNL1 has been inactivated twice independently by point mutations in C. rubella, causing a loss of enzymatic activity. Both inactive haplotypes are found within and outside of Greece, the centre of origin of C. rubella, indicating that they arose before its geographical spread. By contrast, the loss of benzaldehyde emission in C. orientalis is not due to an inactivating mutation in CNL1. CNL1 represents a hotspot for mutations that eliminate benzaldehyde emission, potentially reflecting the limited pleiotropy and large effect of its inactivation. Nevertheless, even closely related species have followed different evolutionary routes in reducing floral scent

ManneqKit Cards:A Kinesthetic Empathic Design Tool Communicating Depression Experiences

While depression is a mood disorder with significant societal impact, the experiences of people living with depression are yet not easy to access. HCI’s tenet to understand users, particularly addressed by the empathic design approach, has prioritized verbal communication of such experiences. We introduce ManneqKit, a kinesthetic empathic design tool consisting of 15 cards with bodily postures and vignettes leveraging the nonverbal aspects of depression experiences. We report ManneqKit’s co-design with 10 therapists, its piloting with 4 therapists and 10 non-therapists, and evaluation through design workshops with 9 interaction designers. Findings indicate cards’ ability to elicit non-therapists’ increased empathy, and richer emotional depictions when compared to text-based description of depression symptoms. We discuss the value of these findings for interaction design in supporting richer understanding of vulnerable users experiencing depression, for more sensitive conceptual designs in the ideation stage, and more nuanced ethical values underpinning the overall design process

Body Matters:Exploration of the Human Body as a Resource for the Design of Technologies for Meditation

Much research on meditation has shown its significant benefits for wellbeing. In turn, there has been growing HCI interest for the design of novel interactive technologies intended to facilitate meditation in real-time. In many of these systems, physiological signals have been mapped onto creative audiovisual feedback, however, there has been limited attention to the experiential qualities of meditation and the specific role that the body may play in them. In this paper, we report on workshops with 24 experts exploring the bodily sensations that emerge during meditation. Through material speculation, participants shared their lived experience of meditation and identified key stages during which they may benefit from additional aid, often multimodal. Findings emphasize the importance of recreating mindful physical sensations during moments of mind-wandering; in particular for supporting the regulation of attention through a range of embodied metaphors and haptic feedback, tailored to key transitions in the meditation process

Biochars in soils : towards the required level of scientific understanding

Key priorities in biochar research for future guidance of sustainable policy development have been identified by expert assessment within the COST Action TD1107. The current level of scientific understanding (LOSU) regarding the consequences of biochar application to soil were explored. Five broad thematic areas of biochar research were addressed: soil biodiversity and ecotoxicology, soil organic matter and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil physical properties, nutrient cycles and crop production, and soil remediation. The highest future research priorities regarding biochar's effects in soils were: functional redundancy within soil microbial communities, bioavailability of biochar's contaminants to soil biota, soil organic matter stability, GHG emissions, soil formation, soil hydrology, nutrient cycling due to microbial priming as well as altered rhizosphere ecology, and soil pH buffering capacity. Methodological and other constraints to achieve the required LOSU are discussed and options for efficient progress of biochar research and sustainable application to soil are presented.Peer reviewe