A qualitative analysis of free text comments of participants from a massive open online mindfulness course.
Sandra L Neate, Jeanette C Reece, Craig Hassed, Richard Chambers, Sherelle Connaughton, Nupur Nag
Frontiers in Public Health 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.947898 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 527 |
| Population | Participants who completed the March 2020 Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance Massive Open Online Course |
| Intervention | Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance Massive Open Online Course |
| Duration | 4-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Digital intervention Knowledge translation Mental health Qualitative analysis |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Two overarching themes emerged: internal mechanisms of developing mindfulness and the translation of mindfulness into daily living, with subthemes including paying attention, letting go, acceptance, gentleness, belonging, support to mental wellbeing, dealing with uncertainty, conscious living, connection, and productivity. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions are associated with improved health and wellbeing. Online mindfulness interventions offer potential scalability and cost advantages over face-to-face interventions. However, little is known about the experiences of learners, what they identify as being helpful to developing a practice of mindfulness and what outcomes they experience from undertaking an online mindfulness program. The Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance Massive Open Online Course is a 4-week mindfulness program which includes psychoeducation, mindfulness meditation, applications and moderated discussion forums. Of the 3,335 participants who completed the March 2020 course, 527 (16%) responded to the final forum which invited participants to describe the highlights of the course. In order to enhance understanding of participant experiences and perceived outcomes of undertaking the course, a qualitative analysis of these free text comments was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis. Two overarching themes were identified: (1) internal mechanisms of developing mindfulness (subthemes: paying attention to the present moment, learning to let go and find acceptance, cultivating an attitude of gentleness, and learning through a sense of belonging) and (2) the translation of mindfulness into daily living (subthemes: mindfulness being a support to mental wellbeing, learning to deal with uncertainty and adversity, living a more conscious life, a greater connection with self and others and channeling attention into productivity). The themes and subthemes provided insights into the mechanisms learners used to develop mindfulness and how they translated mindfulness into their lives in a variety of beneficial ways. This understanding of learners' experiences could inform delivery of future online mindfulness interventions.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Mining the Gems of a Web-Based Mindfulness Intervention: Qualitative Analysis of Factors Aiding Completion and Implementation. JMIR Formative Research October 5, 2022
- The Effectiveness of a 6-Week Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Patients With Cervical Cancer or High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion: A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Multimodal Data of Scales and Electroencephalogram. Psycho-Oncology September 1, 2026
Cites 27
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Mindfulness for Teachers: A Pilot Study to Assess Effects on Stress, Burnout, and Teaching Efficacy Mind, Brain, and Education August 16, 2013
and 22 more in the library