As part of my master's thesis, I developed a mental health app and tested its effectiveness. The mobile app is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and aims to develop psychological flexibility, mindfulness and self-compassion. The aim of the study was to test whether the use of a mental health app can enhance psychological flexibility and self-compassion and thus influence life satisfaction and stress experience of individuals. The study involved 57 participants from a non-clinical population aged between 19 and 57 years. Of these, 28 participants belonged to the experimental group and the rest to the control group. Over the course of three weeks, the participants in the experimental group were introduced to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, self-compassion and mindfulness through various methods and techniques in a mobile app. After this time period, there was a small statistically significant increase in self-compassion in the experimental group. The app had a negligible impact on participants' psychological flexibility, life satisfaction and perceived stress levels. However, the app showed potential in preventing major fluctuations in the experience of stress, which contributes to maintaining the vitality of individuals. One month after the end of the study, the use of the app and the learned mindfulness and self-compassion techniques contributed to further increases in self-compassion and life satisfaction. The findings of the study bring new answers to how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy works in the context of mental health apps in Slovenia and beyond. Finally, the findings point to the opportunity of using the app as a complement to psychotherapy and in the field of mental health promotion and prevention at national level.
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