Efficacy of a single-session online ACT-based mindfulness intervention among undergraduates in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nicholas Tze Ping Pang, Vincent Chung Sheng Tio, Amardeep Singh Bhupendar Singh, Mathias Wen Leh Tseu, Wendy Diana Shoesmith, Muhammad Aklil Abd Rahim, Mohd Amiruddin Mohd Kassim
Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy February 17, 2023 DOI: 10.47626/2237-6089-2020-0172 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 118 |
| Population | Malaysian university students |
| Intervention | Online mindfulness intervention |
| Duration | Single session, pre- and post-intervention assessment |
| Measures | Depression, anxiety, stress, mindfulness, psychological flexibility, fear of COVID-19 |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Online Psychological flexibility Single-session University student |
| Key findings | Online single-session mindfulness therapy significantly reduced anxiety and improved psychological flexibility compared to a control group, but showed no effect on depression, stress, mindfulness, or fear of COVID-19. |
Abstract
COVID-19 has trickle-down psychological effects on multiple strata of society, particularly university students. Apart from the worry of contracting or spreading COVID-19, Malaysian university students were also locked down on their campuses, suffering significant psychological distress. Hence, an online mindfulness intervention was proposed to alleviate psychological distress and improve psychological flexibility and mindfulness. This was a quasi-experimental study with university students as participants. Intervention group participants were instructed to complete online questionnaires which covered basic demographics and instruments assessing depression, anxiety, stress, mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and fear of COVID-19 before and after the one-hour intervention. The control group also completed before and after questionnaires and were subsequently crossed over to the intervention group. Repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to assess time*group effects. 118 participants were involved in this study. There were significant differences in anxiety (F(1,116) = 34.361, p < 0.001, partial eta-squared = 0.229) and psychological flexibility between the two groups (F(1,116) = 11.010, p = 0.001, partial eta-squared = 0.087), while there were no differences in depression, stress, mindfulness, or fear of COVID-19. The results of this study corroborate the efficacy of online single-session mindfulness therapy as a viable short-term psychological intervention under financial and time constraints. Since university students are in the age group with the highest incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders, it is crucial to utilize resources to address as many students as possible to ensure maximum benefit.
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 2
Cites 5
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. Emotion February 6, 2012
- Effectiveness of an 8-Week Web-Based Mindfulness Virtual Community Intervention for University Students on Symptoms of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR Mental Health June 17, 2020
- A Moment of Mindfulness: Computer-Mediated Mindfulness Practice Increases State Mindfulness. PLoS One April 22, 2016
- Effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions in improving mental health: A review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review April 1, 2016