Effects of mindfulness meditation on mindfulness, mental well-being, and perceived stress.
Irene Zollars, Therese Poirier, J. Pailden
Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning August 7, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.cptl.2019.06.005 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA four-week mindfulness meditation program using the Headspace app improved mindfulness, mental well-being, and reduced perceived stress among pharmacy students. Ninety-two students enrolled; 70% completed the study. Results showed enhanced mindfulness and well-being and decreased stress, even after accounting for other health-promoting lifestyle behaviors. The findings suggest that regular meditation is a feasible option for supporting mental health in demanding professional programs.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 92 |
| Population | Professional year one, two, and three pharmacy students |
| Dose | at least 10min per day |
| Duration | Four weeks |
| Keywords | Medicine Psychology |
| Key finding | Mindfulness meditation using the Headspace app was associated with enhanced mindfulness and mental well-being and decreased perceived stress in pharmacy students. |
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of mindfulness meditation using the Headspace™ app on mindfulness, mental well-being, and perceived stress in pharmacy students. METHODS Professional year one (P1), professional year two (P2,) and professional year 3 (P3) pharmacy students were recruited to participate. Students were instructed to meditate using the Headspace™ app for at least 10min per day for four weeks. Students at baseline completed the health promoting lifestyle profile (HPLP). Data was collected from the pre/post surveys using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), and Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). RESULTS Ninety-two pharmacy students enrolled in the study. Seventy-percent of the participants completed the study. Only one participant was excluded in the post data analysis due to non-adherence with the protocol. The data revealed that for all scales the intervention was associated with enhanced mindfulness and mental well-being and decreased perceived stress. Further analysis indicated that controlling for various health promoting lifestyle behaviors preserves the positive impact of mindfulness meditation as demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS Mindfulness meditation uniformly and independently improved the participants overall mental health. The data supports a feasible option for minimizing stress and maintaining mental well-being in a demanding professional program. This study encourages students in pharmacy schools to adopt these practices in their curriculum.