Digital Health Interventions for Emotional Wellbeing in Midlife Women

This research aims to develop and evaluate a digital mindfulness intervention designed to enhance the emotional well-being of pre-menopausal, peri-menopausal, and menopausal women. Menopause is a significant transitional stage in a woman’s life, often accompanied by psychosocial challenges such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Many women underutilise conventional treatments, like hormone replacement therapy, due to concerns about risks and side effects. This study seeks to leverage digital health technology as an innovative solution to manage these symptoms. The research will firstly involve the conduct of a systematic review to examine the existing literature on mindfulness and therapeutic exercise interventions aimed at menopausal women. Following this a digital mindfulness and exercise intervention will be designed. The intervention will be delivered through the “Mind Yourself” app, originally designed to manage stress among carers. The app will incorporate various features, including mindfulness exercises, activity and sleep tracking, wellness tips, and educational content. Additionally, it will provide users with daily self-report options to monitor their emotional state, sleep patterns, and physical activity. Finally a trial will be conducted to investigate the evaluate the intervention developed. The ultimate goal of this research is to create an evidence-based, scalable, and accessible digital intervention that can improve the quality of life for peri-menopausal women, helping them manage their emotional and physical health during this crucial transitional stage. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature, as no previous research has explored the use of digital mindfulness and exercise interventions specifically tailored to mid-life women navigating the menopause transition.

Supervisors

Primary

Dr.Oonagh Giggins, NetwellCASALA

Secondary

Dr. Michael Wilson, NetwellCASALA

Expected completion date of study

October 2028