A multicenter feasibility study on implementing a brief mindful breathing exercise into regular university courses.
Annika C Konrad, Veronika Engert, Reyk Albrecht, Christian Dobel, Nicola Döring, Jens Haueisen, Olga Klimecki, Mike Sandbothe, Philipp Kanske
Scientific Reports May 16, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34737-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preregistered multicenter observational study with an ABAB design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 325 |
| Population | University students (and their lecturers) in 19 courses at six German universities |
| Duration | Over one semester; weekly observations |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Breathing exercises Feasibility studies Students Universities |
| Key findings | The brief lecturer-guided mindfulness exercise, compared with no exercise, was associated with lower stress composite scores, higher presence composite scores, higher motivation for the courses, and better mood in students, with effects persisting throughout a course session. Lecturers also reported positive effects of instructing mindfulness, and the authors conclude that implementing the exercise in regular university teaching is feasible. |
Abstract
Practicing mindfulness is associated with stress reduction and with positive effects in the context of learning and teaching. Although effects on student populations have been studied extensively, there are few studies implementing mindfulness exercises in university courses directly. For this reason, we aimed to investigate whether the use of a brief mindfulness exercise in regular university courses, guided by the lecturers, is feasible and has immediate effects on the students' mental states. We conducted a preregistered multicenter study with one observational arm, following an ABAB design. In total, N = 325 students from 19 different university courses were included at baseline and n = 101 students at post measurement. Students were recruited by N = 14 lecturers located in six different universities in Germany. Lecturers started their courses either by guiding a brief mindfulness exercise (intervention condition) or as they regularly would, with no such exercise (control condition). In both conditions, the mental states of students and lecturers were assessed. Over the semester, n = 1193 weekly observations from students and n = 160 observations from lecturers were collected. Intervention effects were analyzed with linear mixed-effects models. The brief mindfulness exercise, compared to no such exercise, was associated with lower stress composite scores, higher presence composite scores, higher motivation for the courses, as well as better mood in students. Effects persisted throughout a respective course session. Lecturers also reported positive effects of instructing mindfulness. Implementing a brief mindfulness exercise in regular university teaching sessions is feasible and has positive effects on both students and lecturers.