Effectiveness of short-term audio mindfulness in the Chinese community: a pilot study

INTERVENTION: Community‐dwelling adults in mainland China will be recruited online and will be randomized using a computer‐generated random number into an online audio‐mindfulness meditation program and a waitlist control group. In the mindfulness group, participants will spend 10 to 20 minutes listening to the audio contents and practice daily mindfulness exercises throughout 3‐week with a total of 21 sessions. They will fill in the scales about negative emotions (anxiety, depression, stress, and negative affect) four times (at baseline, 1‐week, 2‐week, and 3‐week). Participants in the waitlist control group will need to fill in the same scales as the intervention group twice (at baseline and 3‐week) and they will receive the same audio‐mindfulness program for self‐practice after all data collection procedures in the mindfulness group will be completed. CONDITION: Improvement of mental health in Chinese community‐dwelling people during COVID‐19 period ; Mental and Behavioural Disorders PRIMARY OUTCOME: ; 1. Stress will be measured using the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) at baseline, 7‐days, 14‐days, and 21‐days; 2. Anxiety and depression will be measured using the Chinese Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) at baseline, 7‐days, 14‐days, and 21‐days; 3. Negative affect will be measured using Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) at baseline, 7‐days, 14‐days, and 21‐days; SECONDARY OUTCOME: ; 1. Well‐being will be measured using the World Health Organization 5‐item Well Being Index (WHO‐5) at baseline, 7‐days, 14‐days, and 21‐days; 2. Mindfulness will be measured using the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) at baseline, 7‐days, 14‐days, and 21‐days; 3. Positive affect will be measured using Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) at baseline, 7‐days, 14‐days, and 21‐days; INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Adults over 18 years old 2. Can understand and read Mandarin. 3. Have a smartphone with consistent internet access and can receive audio from the researcher every day 4. Have spare time to listen to audio for 10‐15 minutes every day for 21 consecutive days