"StudiCare Mindfulness": effects of an online mindfulness-based intervention on mindfulness, stress, and interoception in university students - a randomized controlled trial.
BMC Psychology April 29, 2026 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-04631-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 121 |
| Population | University students |
| Duration | 8-week intervention; assessments at baseline, 8 weeks, and 6-month follow-up |
| Measures | Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale-4, hair cortisol, heartbeat perception task, confidence ratings, Body Perception Questionnaire |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The guided online mindfulness intervention improved mindfulness and reduced perceived stress relative to a waitlist control group, with effects maintained at 6-month follow-up. No significant effects appeared for hair cortisol or interoceptive abilities, which the authors suggest may indicate differential sensitivity of psychological versus psychobiological stress measures to online mindfulness interventions. |
Abstract
Abstract:
Background: University students experience elevated stress levels that increase the risk for developing mental disorders. Online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) represent a promising low-threshold approach to improve health-related variables. However, evidence regarding their effects on psychobiological stress markers and interoceptive abilities remains limited.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial investigated the efficacy of an 8-week guided online MBI (StudiCare Mindfulness) in university students ( n = 60) compared to a waitlist control group ( n = 61). Assessments were conducted at baseline (T0), after eight weeks (T1), and 6-month follow-up (T2). Primary outcome was mindfulness (Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory). Secondary outcomes included perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale-4), psychobiological stress (hair cortisol), interoceptive accuracy (heartbeat perception task), and interoceptive sensibility (confidence ratings, Body Perception Questionnaire). Hierarchical linear models were employed for data analysis.
Results: Significant time × group interactions demonstrated that the intervention group significantly improved in mindfulness ( β = 3.137, p = .002) and showed reductions in perceived stress ( β = − 0.989, p < .001) compared to controls, with effects maintained at follow-up. No significant intervention effects were observed for psychobiological stress and interoceptive abilities.
Conclusions: The guided online MBI effectively enhanced mindfulness and reduced perceived stress in university students, with sustained effects at 6-month follow-up. However, the intervention did not significantly affect psychobiological stress markers or interoceptive processing, suggesting differential sensitivity of psychological versus psychobiological stress dimensions to online MBIs. At the same time, the absence of effects on psychobiological measures should be interpreted with caution, as these outcomes may have been subject to additional uncontrolled sources of variability.
Trial Registration: German Clinical Studies Trial Register TRN: DRKS00014701, trial registration date: 07.05.2018.
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 22
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Active interoceptive inference and the emotional brain Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences October 11, 2016
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Awareness in Patients with Chronic Pain and Comorbid Depression Frontiers in Psychology June 30, 2016
- A Three-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness, Acceptance, and Negative Effects of StudiCare Mindfulness, an Internet- and Mobile-Based Intervention for College Students with No and “On Demand” Guidance International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health February 11, 2023
and 17 more in the library