Effects of the Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) on University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Roberto Chiodelli, Saul Neves de Jesús, Luana Thereza Nesi de Mello, Ilana Andretta, Diana Fernandes Oliveira, Maria Emília Santos Costa, Tamara Anne Russell
European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education October 5, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe12100104 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 150 |
| Population | University students from two universities in Portugal (mean age 25.4 ± 8.31 years) |
| Intervention | Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | Compared with a passive control group, both the in-person and synchronous online PIM groups showed beneficial interaction effects in acceptance, positive solitude, optimism, and mindfulness, with the in-person group also improving in awareness and life satisfaction and the online group in impulse control. Within both active groups, stress, emotion regulation, mindfulness, positive solitude, and optimism improved significantly, and the online group additionally improved in awareness and loneliness. The authors conclude PIM is a promising intervention for preventing mental health issues and promoting well-being. |
Abstract
Rates of mental health issues have been increasing among university students. This study investigates the effects of the Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) on academic students on mindfulness, emotional regulation, depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, optimism, positive solitude, and loneliness. A quasi-experimental research was conducted, with pre- and post-test comparative measurements in three groups: in-person (IG), synchronous online (OG), and passive control (CG). A diverse group of students (n = 150; mean age = 25.4 ± 8.31) participated from two universities in Portugal. When compared to the CG, both active groups (IG and OG) demonstrated a beneficial interaction effect in acceptance, positive solitude, optimism, and mindfulness. The IG demonstrated a positive interaction effect in awareness and satisfaction with life, whereas the OG indicated a favorable interaction effect in impulse. When analyzing the intra-group effects, both active groups presented a significant improvement in stress, emotion regulation, mindfulness, positive solitude, and optimism. The OG demonstrated an improvement in awareness and loneliness. The main limitations of this research are that students were not randomly assigned, and groups were heterogeneous in nationality, education level, and sex. Nonetheless, PIM has indicated beneficial results in both IG and OG, and is a promising intervention for the prevention of mental health issues (e.g., stress, difficulties in emotional regulation, and loneliness), as well as for the promotion of well-being (e.g., positive solitude, mindfulness, life satisfaction, and optimism).
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Effect of Mindfulness Breathing Meditation on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: A Randomized Controlled Trial among University Students Healthcare December 22, 2022
- Validation and psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) Counselling Psychology Quarterly February 26, 2025
- Comparison of face-to-face and synchronous online mindfulness-based interventions: a quasi-experimental study Health Psychology Report October 8, 2025
Cites 13
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Six-year positive effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on mindfulness, coping and well-being in medical and psychology students; Results from a randomized controlled trial PLoS One April 24, 2018
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: Further issues in current evidence and future research. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology June 1, 2008
- Evaluation of the breathworks mindfulness‐based pain management programme: effects on well‐being and multiple measures of mindfulness Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy November 13, 2009
- Body in mind training: mindful movement for severe and enduring mental illness British Journal of Wellbeing April 1, 2011
and 8 more in the library