Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire
On Show 2020
Amy Ryan

Research has indicated a number of advantages to mindfulness practice and emotion education for children. The two concepts are often taught together in programs or as part of a school curriculum. However, in recent years, technology-delivered mindfulness and emotion programs (TDMEP) have grown in popularity, as they are considered easy, accessible, and cost-effective alternatives to traditional face-to-face programs. The present study investigated the effect of using TDMEP on children’s quality of life (QoL). Gender differences in QoL were also investigated. Further, qualitative data on parents’ perspectives of their children using TDMEP was collected. Twenty-eight participants were recruited, fourteen children and one of their parents/guardians. The children’s QoL was measured using the Pediatric Quality of Live Inventory (PedsQL), parent proxy report, before and after a one-week period of using the Beats Medical Child Well-Being App (CWBA). In contrast to previous research, an ANOVA analysis revealed no significant difference in children’s QoL before and after the one-week period of using TDMEP. Further, no gender differences were found in children’s QoL. These results are theorized to be attributed to the length of time that the participants were exposed to the CWBA, along with the relatively small sample size. Future research may yield more significant results with a longer intervention time and a larger sample size.