Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Mental Health and Psychological Quality of Life among University Students: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review.
Yuanqing Pan, Fusen Li, Haiqian Liang, Xiping Shen, Zhitong Bing, Liang Cheng, Yi Dong
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2024 DOI: 10.1155/2024/8872685 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | University students |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key findings | MBSR significantly reduced anxiety, depression, and perceived stress and improved mindfulness, self-kindness, and physical health among university students, but did not significantly affect sleep quality, social function, or subjective well-being. |
Abstract
Psychological distress is a progressive health problem that has been linked to decreased quality of life among university students. This meta-analysis reviews existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have examined the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the relief of psychosomatic stress-related outcomes and quality of life among university students. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO (formerly PsychLit), Ovid MEDLINE, ERIC, Scopus, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library databases were searched in November 2023 to identify the RCTs for analysis. Data on pathology (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress), physical capacity (sleep quality and physical health), and well-being (mindfulness, self-kindness, social function, and subjective well-being) were analyzed. Of the 276 articles retrieved, 29 met the inclusion criteria. Compared with control therapies, the pooled results suggested that MBSR had significant effects, reducing anxiety (SMD = -0.29; 95% CI: -0.49 to -0.09), depression (SMD = -0.32; 95% CI: -0.62 to -0.02), and perceived stress (SMD = -0.41; 95% CI: -0.60 to -0.29) and improving mindfulness (SMD = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.59), self-kindness (SMD = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.30 to 1.12), and physical health (SMD = -0.59; 95% CI: -1.14 to -0.04). No significant differences were observed in sleep quality (SMD = -0.20; 95% CI: -0.06 to 0.20), social function (SMD = -0.71; 95% CI: -2.40 to 0.97), or subjective well-being (SMD = 0.07; 95% CI: -0.18 to 0.32). The quality of the evidence regarding sleep quality and physical health outcomes was low. MBSR therapy appears to be potentially useful in relieving functional emotional disorders. However, additional evidence-based large-sample trials are required to definitively determine the forms of mindfulness-based therapy that may be effective in this context and ensure that the benefits obtained are ongoing. Future studies should investigate more personalized approaches involving interventions that are tailored to various barriers and students' clinical characteristics. To optimize the effects of such interventions, they should be developed and evaluated using various designs such as the multiphase optimization strategy, which allows for the identification and tailoring of the most valuable intervention components.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Toward a Unified Model of Advanced Meditation, Human Development, Meditation Maps, and Transtradition Metaphors: Facing Impermanence, Suffering, and Death Mindfulness July 29, 2025
- Study protocol of a proposed Neurofeedback-Assisted Mindfulness Training Program on symptoms of anxiety and psychological distress associated with smartphone use in young adults: a randomized controlled trial Frontiers in Public Health September 4, 2024
- Online mindfulness-based vs. cognitive-behavioural stress reduction for medical students: A randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry Research July 11, 2025
- Does emotional intelligence mediates workplace stress, mindfulness, person-job-fit, and mental health among bank employees Frontiers in Psychology August 26, 2026
- Second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (SG-MBIs) for university students: a scoping review medRxiv October 22, 2025
and 10 more in the library
Cites 30
- Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review British Medical Bulletin April 21, 2021
- A mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress in university students (the Mindful Student Study): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial The Lancet Public Health December 18, 2017
- The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences December 21, 2018
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Theory and Practice The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry February 1, 2012
and 25 more in the library