Mindfulness app provider, Headspace, is making a bid to support US-based healthcare professionals curb anxiety and stress during the coronavirus shutdown.

The brand is offering a free Headspace Plus subscription to US medical personnel in public health settings throughout 2020.

The membership will provide access to 1,200 hours of meditation and mindfulness content.

Founded by Rich Pierson and former monk, Andy Puddicombe, Headspace is a healthcare company specialising in meditation offering mindfulness advice and guidance via an app. It has nearly 60 million users in 190 countries.

The brand issued a statement saying the move was motivated to help healthcare professionals ‘be kind to themselves and their health during this difficult time’.

"Healthcare providers are on the front lines of this public health crisis, making sure our communities receive necessary and critical care," said Dr Megan Jones Bell, chief science officer for Headspace.

"That's why it's crucial for us to find ways to support their mental health and provide them with tools for managing the very real personal toll this crisis takes on them in particular."

Any US-based healthcare professional working in a public health setting can get a free subscription to Headspace Plus by visiting Headspace’s website and enrol using their National Provider Identifier (NPI).

While currently only accessible for healthcare professionals in the US, Headspace is actively working with global NGOs, health systems and government officials to establish ways to uniquely identify healthcare providers in countries around the world so they can also participate.

Headspace has also unveiled a free collection – called ‘Weathering the Storm’ – designed to support people during the global crisis. It features a variety of content such as meditation, advice for help sleeping, specialised panic resolution sessions and at-home workouts.