Exploring the Impact of Different Mindfulness Meditation Interventions on College Students' Resilience: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Jianhao Zhou, Xin Zhao, Cheng Fan, Mengjiao Wu, Huibiao Li, Xiaonan Zhan, Hong Liu, Zheng Jiang
Stress and Health August 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1002/smi.70072 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 48 |
| Population | College students |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 12-week follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Blood pressure College students Heart rate variability Brief mindfulness meditation Mindfulness meditation practices Manage stress Stress reduction Body's stress response Physiological effects Health Well-being Resilience: resilience Enhanced resilience Build lasting resilience Sustained long-term Long-term effects |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Immediate mindfulness meditation reduces stress responses, and an eight-week standardized mindfulness program improves resilience with sustained benefits. |
Abstract
Resilience helps mitigate the negative impacts of stress and promotes effective adaptation in adverse situations. This study investigated the impact of immediate and standardized mindfulness meditation (MM) on the resilience of college students, aiming to offer adaptable MM practices for different stress scenarios. The blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) of 48 participants were assessed during rest, stress, immediate MM, and repeated stress conditions. They were then randomly distributed into two groups to undergo an 8-week standardized MM intervention (n = 24) or a sham MM intervention (n = 24). Emotional states and mindfulness levels were evaluated at baseline (W0), post-training (W8), and a 12-week follow-up (W20) using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). HRV and BP were measured under resting and stress conditions after training. Compared to the initial stress condition, immediate MM significantly enhanced normalized high-frequency HRV (nHF), while reducing BP, normalized low-frequency HRV (nLF), and LF/HF. No notable changes in HRV or BP were observed across different stress conditions. After an 8-week intervention, both groups exhibited significant reductions in DASS-21 and enhancements in FFMQ, persisting at follow-up. The standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval was notably elevated under stress compared to rest in both groups. In the meditation group, stress-induced BP significantly decreased. Immediate MM effectively reduces stress responses, while standardized MM improves resilience and offers sustained benefits, suggesting that college students can select various meditation practices to address different stress scenarios. TRAIL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ref. ChiCTR2300070457).
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 20
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity Frontiers in Human Neuroscience October 9, 2018
- Mindfulness and psychological process. Emotion February 1, 2010
and 15 more in the library