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Effects of an On‐Campus Meditation Course on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Sleep Quality among South Korean Paramedic Students

Yang Gyeong Yoo, Mi Ra Yun, In-Soo Lee, Hyeyoung Kim, Sang Gyun Roh, Boas J. Yu

Perspectives In Psychiatric Care 2023 DOI: 10.1155/2023/3003004 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Quasiexperimental study, nonequivalent group pretest-posttest design Peer reviewed
Sample size 55
Population Paramedic students from two similar-sized universities in different locations in Korea
Intervention Meditation course
Duration 8-week intervention
Topics Anxiety Depression Meditation
Citations 4
Key findings The eight-week meditation course was associated with significantly decreased anxiety and stress levels and improved sleep quality in paramedic students compared with a no-intervention control group, while depression levels did not differ significantly between groups. The authors conclude that including a meditation course in paramedic college curricula is feasible and may benefit students in terms of stress, anxiety, and sleep quality.

Abstract

Background. Paramedic students frequently face various stressful and challenging situations as they work in emergency medical settings. Currently, research studies on utilizing meditation courses as a part of the curriculum to improve the mental health of paramedic students in Korea are lacking. Methods. For this quasiexperimental study, a nonequivalent group pretest and post‐test research design was used. The study sample comprised 55 paramedic students from two similar‐sized universities in different locations: 27 in the experimental group and 28 in the control group. The experimental group participated in an eight‐week meditation course, while the control group did not receive any interventions during the same time period. Results. The results indicated that compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly decreased anxiety (p = 0.047) and stress levels (p = 0.044) and improved sleep quality (p = 0.041). The change in depression levels did not significantly differ between the groups (p = 0.419). Conclusions. The inclusion of a meditation course within college curriculums for paramedic students is feasible and may benefit students in terms of stress, anxiety, and sleep quality.

Comparable studies

Other experimental studies on anxiety, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... 2013 Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group n = 37
Being present in the face of existential threat: The role of trait mindfulness in reducing defensive responses to mortality salience. 2010 Experimental study
Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience 2013 Within-subjects experimental study n = 15
Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience Community adults 2009 Quasi-experimental and longitudinal n = 69
Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment Volunteers 2019 Within-subjects experimental study n = 11

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Anxiety Depression Meditation