The effects of group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.
A. Yüksel, Emel Bahadır Yılmaz
Nurse Education Today November 14, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2019.104268 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 82 |
| Population | Second-year undergraduate university nursing students |
| Intervention | Group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Duration | 4-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Education |
| Key findings | Group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy increased mindful attention awareness and reduced stress levels in nursing students. |
Abstract
Background: Academic and clinical stressors are experienced by most nursing students enrolled in a nursing education program. The students who cannot effectively deal with these stressors experience stress, anxiety and depression.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on mindfulness, depression, anxiety, and stress levels in nursing students.
Design: This quasi-experimental study was carried out using a nonrandomized control group pre-test, post-test, and follow up design.
Setting: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aksaray, Turkey.
Participants: Eighty-two second-year undergraduate university nursing students.
Methods: The group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program was conducted with the experimental group. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) were measured at pre- and post- intervention, and at a 4-months follow-up.
Results: The post-test mean scores of MAAS of the experimental group were statistically higher than the control group (p = .006). When the mean scores obtained in the pre-test, post-test and follow-up measurements were compared, the mean scores of MAAS increased (p = .000) and stress scores decreased significantly in the experimental group (p = .004).
Conclusion: A group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program conducted with nursing students had an effect on students' mindful attention awareness and stress levels. These study results indicate that this program can be used to reduce the levels of stress in nursing students.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- The effect of a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program on depression, anxiety, stress, and cognitive flexibility in nursing students: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Professional Nursing 2025
- Long-term effects of an online mindfulness intervention on mental health in Chinese nursing students: a randomized controlled trial follow-up. BMC Public Health February 19, 2025
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions to Implement the Psychological Well-Being of Nursing Students: A Scoping Review. Healthcare January 4, 2026
- Exploring the Use of Mindfulness-Based Meditation and Physical Activity to Reduce Stress in College Students Research Directs in Health Sciences October 11, 2023
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing anxiety and depression among students: a systematic review and meta-analysis Clinical Psychologist February 9, 2026
and 11 more in the library
Cites 10
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Theory and Practice The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry February 1, 2012
- The Influence of Mindfulness on the Decreasing Anxiety in Nursing Students to Support Academic Learning: A Literature Review Holistic Nursing and Health Science July 10, 2018
- Effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness in senior students. Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS August 2, 2018
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Frontiers in Psychology June 21, 2018
and 5 more in the library