Introducing Anthony Bohm

Meet PhD candidate, Anthony Bohm, whose research topic is "Fostering adolescent wellbeing and resilience: Digital mindfulness training for adolescents."

With an interdisciplinary background that brings together economics and applied Buddhist studies, Anthony is interested in how evidence-based contemplative practices can be adapted for contemporary challenges, particularly those facing young people in increasingly digital environments.

Anthony completed his undergraduate degree in Economics at the University of Wollongong and a Master of Arts (Applied Buddhist Studies) at the Nan Tien Institute in NSW. His doctoral research will focus on the development and evaluation of a digital mindfulness intervention designed specifically for adolescents. Drawing on research in adolescent wellbeing, mindfulness-based programs, digital health and behaviour change, he is investigating how structured, engaging and personalised approaches, potentially incorporating AI-driven guidance and ecological momentary interventions, can support better mental health outcomes for young people.

Motivated by national data showing a decline in adolescent wellbeing in Australia, Anthony is particularly interested in how to design interventions that adolescents will not only benefit from, but actively engage with over time. His work builds on earlier research into school-based programs such as the ‘.b’ mindfulness curriculum and the FRIENDS CBT program, extending these approaches into the digital domain with the aim of creating scalable and accessible support for non-clinical populations in the form of a digital mindfulness app.

Anthony was drawn to the Contemplative Studies Centre because of its strong emphasis on rigorous, evidence-based approaches to contemplative practice across both clinical and non-clinical contexts. He values the Centre’s interdisciplinary environment and the opportunity to work with supervisors whose expertise spans psychology and education. He particularly appreciates the time and space that the PhD will provide to think deeply about complex social challenges and see connections across different domains.

His research is also shaped by personal experience. As a parent of two teenage children, Anthony has observed firsthand the challenges that adolescence presents, particularly in relation to attention, emotional regulation and the influence of digital technologies. He is interested in how the same mechanisms used by digital platforms to capture attention might be repurposed in ways that genuinely support wellbeing, and how insights from behaviour change and digital health can improve engagement with mindfulness practice.

Looking ahead, Anthony hopes to collaborate with organisations such as Cluey Learning to test and evaluate his intervention in real-world settings, as well as to partner with values-aligned AI developers to support the design of its personalised components.

Outside of his research, Anthony enjoys mountaineering, rock climbing and hiking. He has climbed in the Himalayas, the Bolivian Andes, the New Zealand Alps and the Alaska Range, summiting peaks up to 6,500 metres. These days, he also enjoys keeping up with his teenage son, who shares his passion for climbing. At home, he spends time with his miniature dachshund, Tilly.