Mindfulness-based interventions for student coping in higher education: a systematic review
Shameen Naidu, Nicolette V. Roman
Advances in Mental Health July 10, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/18387357.2026.2692478 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 35 |
| Population | Students in higher education |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Psychological intervention Mental health Coping psychology Systematic review Higher education Applied psychology Medical education Clinical psychology Project commissioning |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions show promise in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression while improving emotional regulation and academic focus, but face limitations including geographic bias, homogeneous samples, and lack of long-term follow-ups. |
Abstract
Objective Students in higher education (HE) increasingly experience challenging concerns from stress to anxiety and depression. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) became a popular strategy to help students cope with these. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy, scalability and sustainability of various MBIs implemented in HE to identify strengths, limitations and possible future directions for student wellbeing.Method Nine databases were searched from 2012–2024, with 35 studies reviewed. These were analysed using the RE-AIM framework.Results Findings highlight MBIs promise in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression while improving emotional regulation and academic focus. Key strengths include institutional adoption, and delivery by qualified practitioners. Limitations related to geographic bias, homogeneity in samples, methodological shortcomings, and a lack of long-term follow-ups. Recruitment strategies often excluded marginalised groups.Discussion This review underscores MBIs’ potential as a tool for student wellbeing and highlights the need for equitable and context-sensitive interventions to address global higher education mental health challenges in support of academic success. Recommendations emphasise diversifying participant demographics, integrating MBIs within programmes, and employing longitudinal, user-centred designs for scalability and sustainability.
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
Cites 20
- Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review British Medical Bulletin April 21, 2021
- Competence in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses: Concepts, Development and Assessment Mindfulness September 21, 2011
- Developing Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Yoga and Mindfulness for the Well-Being of Student Musicians in Spain Frontiers in Psychology April 21, 2021
- Effectiveness, Acceptability, and Mechanisms of Change of the Internet-Based Intervention StudiCare Mindfulness for College Students: a Randomized Controlled Trial Mindfulness August 10, 2022
- A Feasibility Study of a Program Integrating Mindfulness, Yoga, Positive Psychology, and Emotional Intelligence in Tertiary-Level Student Musicians Mindfulness September 29, 2022
and 15 more in the library