A brief mindfulness intervention reduces depression, increases nonjudgment, and speeds processing of emotional and neutral stimuli
Mental health & prevention March 1, 2019 S. Sass, L. M. Early, L. Long et al.
A brief mindfulness intervention helped non-treatment-seeking university students with moderate-to-high distress reduce anhedonic depression symptoms and judgment of experiences, and led to more even-handed processing of emotional and neutral information on a reaction-time task, compared to a no-intervention control group. Psychological distress, anxious arousal, and worry decreased, and self-reported mindfulness increased in both groups, suggesting the intervention specifically targets anhedonia and judgment. The findings indicate that brief mindfulness programs may be useful for early intervention and prevention in university settings.