Self-Directed Versus Pre-Determined Mindfulness Training: A Longitudinal Study on Perceived Stress, Well-Being, and Mindfulness
Journal of Cognitive Enhancement March 28, 2026 Jana Theisejans, Annika Brandtner, Magnus Liebherr
A four-week self-directed mindfulness program with background information and integration tips was compared to an online freely available mindfulness program in a pseudo-randomized online study. 107 participants began, 83 completed the entire study. Mixed ANOVAs on imputed data showed significant improvements in mindfulness and perceived stress over time for both groups, but no significant between-group differences and no training-by-time interaction. Well-being did not change significantly. The authors suggest the self-directed program may offer a flexible and sufficiently supportive option for users, given the absence of differences between groups.