Inside STAT: Headspace is a huge hit. But where’s the science behind it?

(MARIA FABRIZIO FOR STAT)

2020 has, by all accounts, been a banner year for Headspace. Demand for the mindfulness and meditation app has skyrocketed since the Covid-19 pandemic and its ripple effects began taking a toll on mental health. Downloads have jumped dramatically in recent months, and the company now boasts as many as 60 million users. Headspace has also been flooded with requests from companies looking to buoy their work-from-home staffs’ wellbeing. But as Covid-19 catapults Headspace into a new stratosphere of popularity, experts say its scientific grounding is shakier than its subscription numbers might suggest. “I think we've seen a lot of exciting pilot studies,” said John Torous, director of digital psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “But I don't think we've seen rigorous, high quality, reproducible research.” STAT’s Juliet Isselbacher has more.