A randomized controlled trial comparing Mindfulness and Heartfulness meditation programmes on stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and wellbeing among distance-learning postgraduates
Diana Brito Pearmain, Mark Kennedy, Karoly Schlosser
Frontiers in Psychology September 17, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1810901 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 73 |
| Population | UK-based and international distance-learning postgraduate (master's and doctorate) students at King's College London; 61 completed questionnaires (80% female) |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) Heartfulness-based intervention (HBI) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention with 12-week follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Heartfulness Postgraduate students Remote intervention |
| Key findings | The group × time interaction was not statistically significant for primary outcomes, indicating no differential change between the Mindfulness-based and Heartfulness-based interventions. Both interventions were associated with significant within-group improvements in stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and wellbeing after eight weeks, with wellbeing and stress gains maintained at twelve-week follow-up; anxiety reductions were sustained only in per-protocol analysis. |
Abstract
BackgroundPostgraduate students are six times more susceptible to mental health challenges than the general adult population, making it imperative to identify effective initiatives to support them. This is particularly relevant for master’s and doctorate students undertaking distance-learning programmes as this is a dimension of the student experience that remains unexplored. Meditation practices such as those included in Mindfulness and Heartfulness programmes have been shown to improve university students’ mental health and wellbeing even when delivered via videoconferencing. However, the efficacy of these approaches remains under-investigated among distance learning postgraduates.ObjectivesThis study aims to explore the impact of an online synchronous Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) compared to a Heartfulness-based intervention (HBI) on distance-learning postgraduate students’ mental health and wellbeing using randomised controlled trial (RCT) design.MethodsThe MBI included guided meditations, emphasizing present moment focus through breathwork and body scan exercises, compassion and non-judgmental observations. The HBI included a heart-focused form of silent meditation, with additional mental exercises aimed to facilitate the clearing and release of impressions. Weekly live online instructor-led group sessions facilitated access across 17 countries on six continents. In an initially powered RCT using block randomisation, N = 73 UK-based and international postgraduate students from King’s College London (KCL) were allocated to either HBI (n = 37) or MBI (n = 36). 61 (80% female) completed validated questionnaires at baseline (T1), after 8-week intervention (T2) and at twelve-week follow-up (T3) through intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. Significance was assessed through repeated-measures ANOVA, supplemented by mixed-effects modeling to assess robustness.ResultsIn line with hypotheses, the group × time interaction was not statistically significant for primary outcomes, providing no indication of differential change between interventions. Both MBI and HBI were associated with significant improvements in stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and wellbeing in postgraduates over time, established through secondary within-group outcomes at T2. At T3, improvements were maintained for wellbeing and stress through ITT analysis. Anxiety reductions were sustained only through Per-Protocol (PP) analysis at T3.ConclusionThese findings are consistent with comparable effects. Both HBI and MBI may be beneficial as preventative and transdiagnostic approaches for postgraduate students’ mental health and wellbeing, at scale, and remotely with a global reach.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 17
- A mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress in university students (the Mindful Student Study): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial The Lancet Public Health December 18, 2017
- Heartfulness Meditation: A Yogic and Neuroscientific Perspective Frontiers in Psychology May 10, 2022
- Incidence and Predictors of Meditation-Related Unusual Experiences and Adverse Effects in a Representative Sample of Meditators in the United States Clinical Psychological Science January 6, 2025
- Daily breath-based mindfulness exercises in a randomized controlled trial improve primary school children's performance in arithmetic. Scientific Reports December 13, 2023
- Effect of a Web-Based Heartfulness Program on the Mental Well-Being, Biomarkers, and Gene Expression Profile of Health Care Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR bioinformatics and biotechnology December 16, 2024
and 12 more in the library