Project at a glance
Background and project goals
On the one hand, studies show that mental well-being improves when people spend less time using digital devices such as smartphones. On the other hand, mobile applications (apps) to promote physical and mental well-being are becoming increasingly popular, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Particularly during the Christmas season and at the beginning of the New Year, many people resolve to pay more attention to their mental well-being. As a result, wellness apps that claim to support well-being see their highest download numbers around the turn of the year, as they are designed to help people put their resolutions into practice. But how often are wellness apps used in Switzerland and for what purpose? And how does the use of wellness apps relate to mental well-being?
Research methodology
A representative online survey of 1,000 Swiss people (50% men and 50% women) aged 15-79 from all over Switzerland was conducted to find out how people in Switzerland perceive their mental well-being and how often and for what purposes (e.g., to improve their mood, sleep better, track certain habits) they use wellness apps. The survey was conducted between July 6 and 10, 2023 in collaboration with the market research institute AmPuls. The response rate was 24%, and the statistical margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points. 68.6% of respondents completed the questionnaire in German, 26.8% in French and 4.6% in Italian. Respondents’ perceived mental well-being was measured using the 7-item short version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS).
Findings
As measured by the SWEMWBS, people in Switzerland have an average wellbeing score of 25.8 on a scale with a maximum of 35, with respondents with the highest wellbeing scores being older and working full-time.
People in Switzerland most often use wellness apps to monitor their health data, improve their mood, and increase their physical activity. The least common uses of wellness apps are for meditation, tracking habits, and tracking mood. People who frequently use wellness apps are younger, more likely to work full time, more likely to live in cities, and live in larger households with older teens. They also have a higher level of education than non-frequent users. At the same time, however, the results show that frequent users have lower levels of mental well-being than non-frequent users. This suggests that wellness apps may not be able to deliver the claimed benefits.
Project
Wellness apps and mental well-being in SwitzerlandLead
Swiss Institute for Entrepreneurship (SIFE) More about Swiss Institute for Entrepreneurship (SIFE) PRME Business Integrity Action Center (BIAC) More about PRME Business Integrity Action Center (BIAC)Project Leader
Hauser Christian More about Hauser ChristianInvolved parties
AmPuls Market Research AG More about the involvedResearch fields
Digital strategies and AI for companies More about Digital strategies and AI for companies Corporate Responsibility More about Corporate ResponsibilityFunding
third-party fundsDuration
May 2023 - April 2024
Downloads
Team
Additional Information
Research Fields
Parties involved
The project was implemented by the Swiss Institute for Entrepreneurship (SIFE) and the PRME Business Integrity Action Center (BIAC) in collaboration with corporate partners.