This study is an 8-week single-arm pilot trial designed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a mobile application-based mindfulness intervention for older Korean immigrants in the United States. Older Korean immigrants experience significant mental health disparities and face multiple barriers to accessing traditional mental health services, including language limitations, cultural stigma, and limited availability of culturally tailored care. This study aims to address these gaps by delivering an accessible, culturally appropriate mindfulness intervention through a mobile application.
A total of approximately 60 participants aged 60 years and older will be recruited from community-based organizations. Eligible participants will complete baseline assessments that include demographic characteristics, cognitive screening, and validated measures of psychological well-being and mental health outcomes. Following baseline assessment, participants will receive an orientation session on how to download and use the mobile application and will engage in the intervention for 8 weeks using their personal smartphones. Participants will be encouraged to use the application for approximately 10-15 minutes per day, with flexibility to accommodate individual preferences. Weekly check-ins via phone or text will be conducted to support engagement and address any technical or usability concerns.
The intervention includes guided mindfulness and meditation practices, breathing exercises, sound-based relaxation, and optional cognitive reflection activities. The application also incorporates an artificial intelligence-based biometric feature that assesses physiological stress and provides personalized mindfulness content based on users' stress levels. This feature is intended for general wellness and self-awareness purposes.
Feasibility and acceptability will be assessed using recruitment rates, refusal rates, retention rates, and adherence to the intervention. Preliminary efficacy will be evaluated by examining changes from baseline to post-intervention in positive psychological well-being (e.g., positive affect, optimism, life engagement, and mindful attention awareness) and adverse mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress). Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and longitudinal modeling approaches to examine within-person changes over time.
This study will provide critical preliminary data on the use of mobile health technology to deliver culturally tailored mindfulness interventions for older immigrant populations and inform the design of future randomized controlled trials.
