Spaces : A Student-Informed, Course-Based Program to Enhance Wellbeing and Present-Moment Awareness in University Undergraduates

Abstract Introduction The wellbeing of university undergraduates is a pressing area of concern, with one in five students reporting serious psychological distress. In previous semesters of a course on mental wellbeing, we asked undergraduates to engage with a standardized wellness program for the general population and provide feedback through weekly surveys and a final reflection paper. Based on these responses, we developed the 30-day, course-embedded Spaces program to more specifically address college student needs.

Methods: The Spaces program incorporates intrinsically pleasurable activities and short presence practices. We piloted the program in a cohort of 30 students during the Fall 2024 semester. Students completed weekly surveys measuring anxiety, depression, and wellbeing, pre-post surveys on present-moment awareness, and a post-program engagement scale.

Results: Over the five program weeks, students in the Spaces semester experienced significantly less anxiety (F (1,4) =38.40, P =0.003) and depression (F (1,4) =32.87, P =0.005) and more wellbeing (F (1,4) =65.86, P =0.001) than those in semesters with the standardized program, and increased present-moment awareness compared to baseline (t (27) =3.859, P =0.0006). Engagement with specific components predicted improvements in mood and attention.

Discussion: These findings highlight the potential of an iterative approach that incorporates input from the target population in enhancing the ability of a wellness program to meet its goals.