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Effects of guided mindfulness meditation on anxiety and stress in a pre-healthcare college student population: a pilot study

Matthew S Burgstahler, M. Stenson

Journal of American College Health August 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2019.1590371 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Pre-post intervention study Pilot study Peer reviewed
Sample size 33
Population Pre-healthcare college students aged 19–22
Intervention Guided mindfulness meditation
Dose 5–12 minutes per day, 6 days per week for 8 weeks
Duration 8-week intervention
Measures stress, anxiety, mindfulness, heart rate variability
Topics Anxiety Meditation
Key points Five to twelve minutes of daily mindfulness meditation for eight weeks reduced stress and anxiety and increased mindfulness, with greater improvements in those who meditated more.

Abstract

Abstract

Objective: To identify the effects of guided mindfulness meditation on anxiety and stress in pre-healthcare college students.

Participants: Students (n = 33, age 19–22 years) were tested between September and November of 2017.

Methods: Students completed 5–12 minutes of meditation 6 days/week for 8 weeks. We examined differences in pre- and post-intervention stress, anxiety, mindfulness, and heart rate variability.

Results: All variables significantly improved after the intervention. When broken into quartiles based on minutes of meditation, groups 1 (0–184 min, p = 0.044) and 2 (184.1–268 min, p = 0.042) significantly increased mindfulness after the intervention. Group 3 (268–350 min) significantly decreased state anxiety (p = 0.015) and increased mindfulness (p = 0.029). Group 4 (350.24–424.05 min) decreased stress (p = 0.003), state anxiety (p = 0.007), trait anxiety (p = 0.003), and increased mindfulness (p = 0.007).

Conclusion: Five to twelve minutes of daily mindfulness meditation is associated with decreased stress and anxiety, and increased mindfulness with greater changes observed following more minutes of meditation.

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Psilocybin-assisted group therapy for demoralized older long-term AIDS survivor men: An open-label safety and feasibility pilot study Older long-term AIDS survivor (OLTAS) self-identified gay men with moderate-to-severe... 2020 Open-label study

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