The Effects of Mindfulness‐Based Intervention on Cognitive Functions in Tertiary Students: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Freda Jia Xin Jong, Alvin Lai Oon Ng, Cheng Kar Phang, Safa Omran, Siew Li Teoh
Applied Cognitive Psychology May 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1002/acp.70056 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Tertiary (university) students, mostly without mental health issues or prior meditation experience |
| Duration | Interventions ranged from one session to 8 weeks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Pooled evidence from 17 randomized controlled trials indicates that mindfulness-based interventions improved the orienting subdomain of attention (MD -8.12) and episodic memory (SMD 0.93) in tertiary students, though evidence quality was generally low. The authors suggest these findings support potential integration of mindfulness training into university education. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT Mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) are secular trainings shown to enhance cognitive function, but their effectiveness among tertiary students has not been critically evaluated. This review synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials on the impact of MBIs on cognitive improvement in tertiary students. Databases including Medline and Embase were searched for randomized controlled trials. Twenty‐six trials were included, with 17 pooled for meta‐analysis. Participants, mostly without mental health issues or prior meditation experience, underwent cognitive assessments on attention, memory, executive function, perception, and learning. The MBIs ranged from one session to 8 weeks in duration. The evidence quality was generally low. Significant improvements were found in the “orienting” subdomain of attention (MD −8.12, 95% CI: −14.18, −2.05) and “episodic memory”: (SMD 0.93, 95% CI: 0.32, 1.53). These findings suggest that MBIs can enhance attention and memory in tertiary students, indicating potential benefits of integrating mindfulness training into university education systems. Trial Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42020170393.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 46
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
and 41 more in the library