Mindfulness Apps Could Help Adolescents Manage Period Pain

Adolescents are interested in such apps.

Key Points

Highlights: 

• Adolescents are interested in using a mindfulness app to potentially reduce period pain.
• Every adolescent has unique needs that must be addressed.

Importance:

• The findings of the study can guide the development of apps that can help manage period pain.

What’s done here:

• Researchers surveyed 111 adolescents with period pain and worked with focus groups.

Key results:

• Adolescents have a moderate understanding of mindfulness and period pain.
• Most adolescents with period pain practiced some form of mindfulness and used nonpharmacological methods of pain management.
• Adolescents had a moderate perception that mindfulness could help reduce period pain. 
• Adolescents need continued support and flexible access to mindfulness activities.
• Adolescents are aware of the different factors that affect pain.
• Adolescents need content specific to period pain

Limitations:

• The sample size is small.
• Participants were predominantly white and identified as a women or girl.
• Participants in the survey may have had more interest and knowledge about the topic so the sample may not be representative.

Lay Summary

Adolescents with period pain are interested in using a mindfulness app for their pain, according to a new study published in the journal, JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting. However, they have unique needs that must be addressed so that the app is engaging and relevant. 

More and more digital intervention platforms are becoming available to help reduce pain. However, there aren’t many such platforms for adolescents who experience period pain.

In the present study, a team of researchers led by Dr. Jennifer N. Stinson from  Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto and Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada sought to understand the needs, knowledge, preferences, and mindfulness experiences of adolescents who experience period pain so that an app that can help to manage period pain can be developed in the future.

The researchers used an explanatory sequential mixed method design, which was made of a survey and focus groups. 

A total of 111 adolescents, ages 13 to 17 completed the survey and 16 took part in focus groups. The survey results showed that adolescents had a “moderate understanding” of mindfulness and period pain.  The majority of survey participants (78%) practiced some form of mindfulness and 87% used non-pharmacological pain management methods. 

Adolescents had a moderate perception that mindfulness could help reduce period pain. 

Then, based on mindfulness experiences, the researchers generated themes related to the respondents’  knowledge and experiences on period pain, which showed that adolescents need continued support and flexible access to mindfulness activities, that they are aware of the different factors that affect pain, and that they need content specific to period pain.

Research Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38587886/