A qualitative exploration of university student perspectives on mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises via smartphone app in Bangladesh.
Munjireen S Sifat, Naima Tasnim, Kirsten Stoebenau, Kerry M. Green
International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being December 2022 DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2113015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | University students in Bangladesh |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Bangladesh App Digital health Global mental health Mental health promotion University students |
| Key findings | Students expressed favorable attitudes toward linguistically and culturally adapted mindfulness exercises, reporting positive psychological and physiological reactions, and welcomed the idea of delivering these exercises through an app as a way to overcome past barriers to help-seeking. The authors argue these findings support further testing of an app-based mindfulness program for mental health promotion via a larger pilot study. |
Abstract
Mental health problems are proliferating, and access to mental health care is difficult due to barriers imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in low-income countries such as Bangladesh. University students are susceptible to mental health concerns, given their unique stressors (i.e., academic pressure, new social environment). Mindfulness techniques can promote mental health , yet their acceptability has not been examined among Bangladeshi university students. These techniques can be used on a digital app, to decrease barriers to use.Qualitative methods were used to examine the acceptability of mindfulness among university students in Bangladesh. In-depth interviews (n = 12) were conducted to examine student reactions to linguistically (Bangla) and culturally adapted mindfulness exercises. Thematic analysis generated three themes (1) previous experience with mindfulness (2) positive responses to and (3) improvements to mindfulness exercises. The results showed favourable attitudes towards the mindfulness content; students expressed positive psychological and physiological reactions. Students welcomed the concept of using these exercises on an app and felt it could overcomepast barriers to help-seeking. This evidence suggests the value of exploring the acceptability of an app with mindfulness exercises for mental health promotion through a larger-scale pilot study in university students in Bangladesh.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 4
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- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- A mindfulness-based mobile health (mHealth) intervention among psychologically distressed university students in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Counseling Psychology July 15, 2021
- Can a little bit of mindfulness do you good? A systematic review and meta-analyses of unguided mindfulness-based self-help interventions. Clinical Psychology Review August 30, 2021