Mindapples training successful in independent trial

A study published today by the University of York shows that Mindapples training programmes increased participants’ ability to cope with stress, including three months after the programme was complete.

This is the first controlled trial of Mindapples’ flagship training programme, Your Mind: A User’s Guide, and is a great endorsement for our unique approach to mental health and wellbeing education. The trial showed statistically significant increases in participants’ knowledge of their minds and ability to cope with stress, as well as increases in subjective wellbeing and overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants.

     

The trials were conducted with students at London South Bank University and included the period of final examinations and assignments – typically the most stressful point in a student’s career. The content used was exactly the same as we use with our commercial clients, so this trial also shows the strength of our workplace training programmes, and the wide applicability of our approach.

The eight-week training programme covered all the basic elements of wellbeing and resilience, and also more advanced topics like motivation, decision-making and creativity. Unlike most training and therapeutic programmes, the content focusses on learning about your mind and increasing your awareness of the factors affecting it, rather than telling participants what to do and training particular behaviours.

Some of the feedback from participants included:

“it sounded like it would help to teach us people skills and personality types we would need to know in the workforce – and it did, it really did actually help”

“I understand myself, I can plan ahead if facing challenging situations or stressful situations”

“it was interactive as well, asking our opinion, puzzles, mind games that kept you gripped – short and sweet, just enough, fitted in with the day”

“[It] helped with both essays, going to the library, having a plan, make use of resources. When I went on placement I sorted it out in time, learnt how to manage time and not be angry with others. I manage my emotions better”

“Mindapples helped me to take a step back, relax. That was when I got my highest grades”

This is a real milestone for Mindapples and shows that our approach could have real clinical value as well as professional benefits. We’re very grateful to Dr Martin Webber and Ms Charlotte Scott at the University of York for conducting the trial, Professor Alex Murdock and colleagues at London South Bank University for partnering with us on it, Ollie Smith and Guy’s & St Thomas’s Charity for funding the project, and our own Esther King for co-ordinating things brilliantly on our side.

The findings are now being submitted for academic publication, and further studies are planned. You can download the full project report from the University of York’s website here:

Webber, M., Murdock, A. & Scott, C. (2015). Evaluation of mental effectiveness training pilot. University of York.