A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness: effects on university students’ mental health
Giovana Gonçalves Gallo, Daniela Fernandez Curado, Mayra Pires Alves Machado, Marília Ignácio de Espíndola, Vitor Villar Scattone, Ana Regina Noto
Research Square July 6, 2022 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1782545/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 136 |
| Population | University students |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based intervention |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health Psychological intervention Randomized controlled trial Intervention counseling Clinical psychology Population Depression economics |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based intervention improved symptoms of stress, depression, and insomnia but not trait anxiety. |
Abstract
Abstract The development of mental health disorders is common in the university population, and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) seem to be effective in addressing them in different contexts. Thus, this study investigated the impact of MBIs on different symptoms related to mental health problems. University students (n = 136) were randomized into MBI group or wait-list group. All participants completed self-administered questionnaires before and after the intervention, and the experimental group answered questionnaires every week during intervention. Generalized mixed models were used to assess the effects of the intervention, which were improvements in symptoms of stress (B = 5.76,p < 0.001), depression (B = 1.55,p < 0.01) and insomnia (B = 1.35,p = 0.020). No effect was found in respect of trait anxiety. The MBI was found to be effective in reducing important symptoms related to university students’ mental health, grounding the use of this intervention to improve it, and suggesting that it may be used to prevent the development of mental disorders.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 20
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- Mindfulness‐based stress reduction and attentional control Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy November 1, 2007
- Mindfulness Meditation, Anxiety Reduction, and Heart Disease Family & Community Health 2003
and 15 more in the library