Effects of a mindfulness-based program on the occupational balance and mental health of university students. Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
PLoS One May 2, 2024 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Clinical protocol Randomized Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | University students (undergraduate, master, or doctoral) meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria |
| Duration | 8-week program with assessment at pre-intervention, inter-session, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Registration | NCT05929430 |
| Key points | The protocol proposes a three-arm randomized trial comparing an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Health Care Program with and without added virtual reality meditation training against a control group in university students. The authors expect the intervention to help students relate more healthily to their mental processes, improving occupational balance and psychological well-being. No outcomes are reported. |
Abstract
Objective: The aim is to examine whether the addition of Virtual Reality (VR) meditation training to a standard 8-week Mindfulness-Based Health Care Program (MBHC-VR) results in a significantly increased improvement in occupational, mental health, and psychological functioning versus MBHC-only in university students.
Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial with three arms (MBHC, MBHC-VR, Control Group), four assessment time points (pre-intervention, inter-session, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up), and mixed methodology will be proposed. University students (undergraduate, master, or doctoral) interested in participating and who meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be included over two years. Data will be collected from different ad hoc questionnaires, several standardized tests, and an Ecological Momentary Assessment. We will use R software to carry out descriptive analyses (univariate and bivariate), multilevel modeling, and structural equation models to respond to the proposed objective. The qualitative analysis will be carried out using the MAXQDA program and the technique of focus groups.
Discussion: It is expected that with the proposed intervention university students will learn to relate in a healthier way with their mental processes, so as to improve their occupational balance (OB) and their psychological well-being.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05929430.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Virtual Reality as an Interactive Tool for the Implementation of Mindfulness in University Settings: A Systematic Review Multimodal Technologies and Interaction October 11, 2024
- Teacher-Guided vs. Self-Guided Mindfulness in Higher Education: Comparable Effects on Emotion Regulation, Trait Mindfulness, and Adverse Effects Mindfulness March 1, 2026
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