Surprise and delight: Response to informal versus formal mindfulness among university students with self-injury.
J. Petrovic, Julia Milad, Jessica Mettler, Chloe A. Hamza, Nancy L. Heath
Psychological services December 7, 2023 DOI: 10.1037/ser0000825 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 36 |
| Population | University students with a recent history of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) |
| Interventions | formal sitting meditation informal practice) |
| Duration | Brief mindfulness practice followed by a semistructured interview |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Informal mindfulness practice was reported as highly acceptable, with favorable physical and psychological experiences predominating and only informal practice inspiring delight and surprise; preferences for guidance were mixed between formal and informal practice. The authors argue clinicians should emphasize informal practice in mindfulness-based interventions for students with a history of NSSI. |
Abstract
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the deliberate destruction of one's bodily tissue without suicidal intent. Mindfulness practice is commonly incorporated into universities' stress management programming and may benefit students with a history of NSSI. However, recent findings suggest that these students may respond differentially to specific types of mindfulness practice (i.e., formal vs. informal practice). The present study qualitatively explored the acceptability of different types of mindfulness practice among university students with a history of NSSI. University students with a recent history of NSSI (n = 36) completed a semistructured interview following a brief mindfulness practice (i.e., either a formal body scan, formal sitting meditation, or informal practice). Reflexive thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed five key themes. First, there appeared to be general misconceptions regarding what constitutes mindfulness practice (Theme 1). Nevertheless, within the present study, all mindfulness practices were carried out with relative ease (Theme 2). Notably, favorable physical and psychological experiences were predominant in response to informal practice (Theme 3). Preferences regarding level of guidance were more mixed in response to formal versus informal practice (Theme 4). Finally, only informal practice inspired feelings of delight and surprise following practice (Theme 5). Informal mindfulness practice is deemed highly acceptable by university students with a history of NSSI and clinicians should strongly consider emphasizing it in mindfulness-based interventions offered to these students, to provide them with the best opportunity to build a regular mindfulness practice and develop their emotion regulation abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).