‘A Light in the Whole Darkness of Zoom’: A Qualitative Examination of College Students' Experiences in an Online Mindfulness‐Based Intervention

Nine college students who took part in an online mindfulness-based stress reduction group during the fall 2020 COVID-19 lockdown reported both advantages and challenges. Advantages included greater comfort, a strong instructor, broader social connections, and an enhanced sense of community. Challenges included environmental distractions, an impersonal feel, difficulty connecting with others, and technology issues. The findings suggest that online mindfulness-based interventions can increase access to mental health support for college students, but addressing their limitations is important as this treatment modality becomes more common on campuses.

Study at a glance

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Mindfulness‐Based Interventions (MBIs), including those administered online, have demonstrated efficacy in promoting mental health among college students. Few studies, however, have examined participants' lived experiences of engaging in these interventions when administered online. Method The current qualitative study investigated nine college students' experiences of participating in a randomised controlled trial of an online adaptation of mindfulness‐based stress reduction, a group intervention administered during the fall 2020 COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Two themes and eight subthemes were identified. The first theme centred on advantages of the intervention's online modality. The college student participants described greater comfort, a strong instructor, broadened social connections and enhanced community in the context of the online intervention. The second theme surrounded challenges of the intervention's online format, and subthemes included environmental distractions, impersonal modality, difficulty connecting with others and technology issues. Conclusion The COVID‐19 pandemic underscored the need for health promotion programmes specifically targeting college students; online MBIs may increase access to these interventions. Promoting the strengths and addressing the limitations of online MBIs among this population are essential as this modality of treatment becomes more widely employed across college campuses.