title: Stress management using UMTS cellular phones: a controlled trial.
abstract: One of the best strategies for dealing with stress is learning how to relax. However, relaxing is difficult to achieve in typical real world situations. For this study, we developed a specific protocol based on mobile narratives - multimedia narratives experienced on UMTS/3G phones - to help workers in reducing commuting stress. In a controlled trial 33 commuters were randomly divided between three conditions: Mobile narratives (MN); New age music and videos (NA); no treatment (CT). In two consecutive days the MN and NA samples experienced during their commute trip 2 x 2 6-minute multimedia experiences on a Motorola A925 3G phone provided by the "TRE" Italian UMTS carrier: the MN sample experienced a mobile narrative based on the exploration of a desert beach; the NA sample experienced a commercial new age video with similar visual contents. The trials showed the efficacy of mobile narratives in reducing the level of stress experienced during a commute trip. No effects were found in the other groups. These results suggest that 3G mobile handsets may be used as relaxation tool if backed by a specific therapeutic protocol and meaningful narratives.
authors.affiliation: ATN-P Lab., Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy. giuseppe.riva@unicatt.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Preziosa
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Villani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D040421:Cell Phone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*