Mindfulness as a way to cope with COVID‐19‐related stress and anxiety
Robert Weis, Sullivan D. Ray, Tema A. Cohen
December 13, 2020 DOI: 10.1002/capr.12375 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Population | College students |
| Intervention | Koru Mindfulness |
| Duration | Four-week intervention |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Education |
| Key findings | Koru Mindfulness improved mindfulness, self-compassion, and attention, and reduced stress, anxiety, and sleep problems in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Abstract
Abstract COVID-19 brought significant challenges to college students in Spring 2020 Mindfulness-based interventions might help students cope with COVID-19-related stressors in at least three ways: by cultivating attention that is self-directed rather than reactive to a rapidly changing situation;by teaching the acceptance and regulation of negative thoughts and feelings;and by encouraging individuals to view adverse events non-judgementally and as opportunities for growth The purpose of our study was to determine whether Koru Mindfulness (KM), a four-week, mindfulness-based group therapy designed for emerging adults, could help students cope with COVID-19-related stress and anxiety Students were assigned to either KM or waitlist at the beginning of the 2020 Spring semester Assessment of students? functioning occurred at baseline before the onset of COVID-19, mid-semester at the height of the COVID-19 crisis on campus, and the end of the semester after students had returned home and transitioned to remote learning After treatment, KM participants reported greater mindfulness and self-compassion and less stress, anxiety and sleep problems than controls KM participants also showed superior functioning on performance-based measures of attention Most gains were maintained over time Increased mindfulness mediated the relationship between KM and reductions in stress and anxiety KM can help students cope with academic and COVID-19-related stressors by improving mindfulness
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- The effects of mindfulness on mother–child relationships and maternal well‐being during the first COVID‐19 lockdown in Israel Child & Family Social Work March 14, 2023
- The mental health of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Beneficial effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction. Heliyon June 30, 2024
- Mindfulness-based Interventions for Emotional Dysregulation in Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Annals of Neurosciences July 19, 2025
- Effectiveness of Mindfulness on Student Anxiety and Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nursing & health sciences December 1, 2024
- The Mediating Effect of Religious Attitude on the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Covid-19 Fear Afet ve Risk Dergisi September 29, 2023
and 13 more in the library
Cites 9
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- A mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress in university students (the Mindful Student Study): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial The Lancet Public Health December 18, 2017
- Effectiveness of providing university students with a mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress: 1-year follow-up of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health September 10, 2020
- Mindfulness-Based Coping With University Life: A Randomized Wait-List Controlled Study Sage Open June 14, 2019
- Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review February 1, 2018
and 4 more in the library