Efficacy of neurofeedback-assisted mindfulness for anxiety and nomophobia in Spanish young adults: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Problematic use of new technologies has been associated with anxiety and other disorders in young adults. This study evaluated the efficacy of a Neurofeedback-Assisted Mindfulness Training Program (NAMTP) in reducing anxiety and related symptoms in young adults. A randomized clinical trial assigned participants to an intervention group (IG), receiving 20-25 NAMTP sessions, or a control group (CG). All participants received a brief workshop on responsible technology use. Anxiety was assessed using the DASS-21 anxiety subscale. Secondary outcomes included the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), all evaluated at baseline and three months. A total of 40 participants completed the study (82.5% women; mean age 24.8 ± 3.4). No statistically significant differences were observed between the intervention group (IG) and the control group (CG) in any of the psychological variables assessed. For the DASS scales, the mean differences (IG-CG) were 0.1 (95% CI: -1.6 to 1.9; p = 0.868) for anxiety, -2.4 (95% CI: -7.2 to 2.4; p = 0.324) for depression, and -1.5 (95% CI: -5.3 to 2.4; p = 0.453) for stress. Similarly, the mean difference in the SAS-SV score was -1.0 (95% CI: -5.0 to 2.9; p = 0.606), while for the NMP-Q score it was 3.7 (95% CI: -8.9 to 16.4; p = 0.553). Finally, the Athens Insomnia score showed a mean difference of -1.1 (95% CI: -2.9 to 0.7; p = 0.211). Adherence to the NAMTP program was high (88.8%). The NAMTP did not produce significant improvements in anxiety, mobile phone addiction, nomophobia, or sleep quality. These findings suggest that, although NAMTP is feasible and well-tolerated, further research is needed to determine its potential benefits. Clinicaltrials.gov; NCT06188910. http://www.Clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06188910.