Trial reportJMIR mHealth and uHealth2020
Efficacy of the Digital Therapeutic Mobile App BioBase to Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Well-Being Among University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Interventions Based on Biofeedback Systems to Improve Workers' Psychological Well-Being, Mental Health, and Safety: Systematic Literature Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Digital Mental Health Interventions for University Students With Mental Health Difficulties: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Early intervention in psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance of Digital Mental Health Interventions for College Students: A Systematic Review.Current psychiatry reports · 2024Pooled it
- Mindfulness-Based Mobile Apps and Their Impact on Well-Being in Nonclinical Populations: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of Mobile Mindfulness Meditation on the Mental Health of University Students: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Determination of Markers of Successful Implementation of Mental Health Apps for Young People: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- Digital Interventions for Psychological Well-being in University Students: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- Factors Influencing Adherence to mHealth Apps for Prevention or Management of Noncommunicable Diseases: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- Characteristics of Mobile Health Platforms for Depression and Anxiety: Content Analysis Through a Systematic Review of the Literature and Systematic Search of Two App Stores.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Mobile App-Based Psychological Interventions for College Students: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Pooled it
- Design of a Mobile App and a Clinical Trial Management System for Cognitive Health and Dementia Risk Reduction: User-Centered Design Approach.JMIR aging · 2025Trial
- Evaluating a brief smartphone-based stress management intervention with heart rate biofeedback from built-in sensors in a three arm randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Randomized clinical trial comparing the effects of an asynchronous mobile application to guided brief cognitive behavioral therapy for managing anxiety among medical students.Trends in psychiatry and psychotherapy · 2025Trial
- Efficacy of the Flo App in Improving Health Literacy, Menstrual and General Health, and Well-Being in Women: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Trial
- The Efficacy of "Foundations," a Digital Mental Health App to Improve Mental Well-being During COVID-19: Proof-of-Principle Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Trial
- A Mobile-Based Intervention to Increase Self-esteem in Students With Depressive Symptoms: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2021Trial
- Digital and In-Person Mindfulness-Based Interventions for University Students' Mental Health: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Beyond RCTs-Better Research Designs and Methods for Psychosocial Efficacy Studies in Mental Health.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2026Review
- Digital public health interventions for the promotion of mental well-being and health behaviors among university students: a rapid review.BMC public health · 2025Review
- Digital Mental Health Interventions for Young People Aged 16-25 Years: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUniversity students in the United Kingdom are experiencing increasing levels of anxiety. A program designed to increase awareness of one's present levels of well-being and suggest personalized health behaviors may reduce anxiety and improve mental well-being in students. The efficacy of a digital version of such a program, providing biofeedback and therapeutic content based on personalized well-being metrics, is reported here.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to test the efficacy and sustained effects of using a mobile app (BioBase) and paired wearable device (BioBeam), compared with a waitlist control group, on anxiety and well-being in university students with elevated levels of anxiety and stress.
methodsThe study employed a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with assessments at baseline, 2 weeks, postintervention (4 weeks), and follow-up (6 weeks). Participants were eligible if they were current full-time undergraduate students and (1) at least 18 years of age, (2) scored >14 points on the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 items (DASS-21) stress subscale or >7 points on the DASS-21 anxiety subscale, (3) owned an iOS mobile phone, (4) did not have any previous psychiatric or neurological conditions, (6) were not pregnant at the time of testing, and (7) were able to read and understand English. Participants were encouraged to use BioBase daily and complete at least one course of therapeutic content. A P value ≤.05 was considered statistically significant.
resultsWe found that a 4-week intervention with the BioBase program significantly reduced anxiety and increased perceived well-being, with sustained effects at a 2-week follow-up. Furthermore, a significant reduction in depression levels was found following the 4-week usage of BioBase.
conclusionsThis study shows the efficacy of a biofeedback digital intervention in reducing self-reported anxiety and increasing perceived well-being in UK university students. Results suggest that digital mental health interventions could constitute a novel approach to treat stress and anxiety in students, which could be combined or integrated with existing therapeutic pathways.
trial registrationOpen Science Framework (OSF.io) 2zd45; https://osf.io/2zd45/.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.