Effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness in senior students.
Roberto Chiodelli, Luana T N Mello, Saul N Jesus, Ilana Andretta
Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS August 2, 2018 DOI: 10.1186/s41155-018-0099-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-experimental pre-post comparative and correlational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Senior university students in Brazil |
| Intervention | Brief mindfulness-based intervention |
| Duration | Six weekly meetings |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Brief mindfulness-based intervention Emotion regulation Senior students Undergraduates |
| Key findings | A six-week mindfulness program was associated with reduced overall emotion-regulation difficulties and increased mindfulness Awareness and Acceptance scores among senior students in Brazil. More meditation practice correlated with greater Awareness and fewer emotion-regulation difficulties, including less non-acceptance and greater clarity. The authors conclude the intervention is promising but call for experimental designs with follow-up. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions have been applied in diverse populations and achieved mental health benefits. This study examined the effects of a brief mindfulness program for emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness on senior students in Brazil. The intervention consisted of six weekly meetings attended by 30 participants. It is a pre-experimental research, with pre- and post-test comparative and correlation measurements. The preliminary results, which relied on parametrical and non-parametrical tests, revealed a reduction in total emotional regulation difficulties (p = 0.0001; r = - 0.55). Also, there was an increase in the levels of mindfulness in the subtests for both dimensions under evaluation: "Awareness" (p = 0.0001; d = 0.77) and "Acceptance" (p = 0.048; d = 0.37). By associating the amount of meditative practices performed by students with the variables, a significant positive correlation was found with the mindfulness dimension "Awareness" (rP = 0.422; p = 0.020), and there was a significant negative correlation with Difficulties in emotion regulation (rS = - 0.478; p = 0.008) and with its respective subscales "Non-acceptance" (rS = - 0.654; p = 0.0001) and "Clarity" (rS = - 0.463; p = 0.010). In conclusion, the application of a brief mindfulness-based intervention is promising in Brazilian university contexts; moreover, it can bring benefits to students, e.g., an increase in emotion regulation as well as in levels of mindfulness. We suggest that further research should use an experimental design and follow-up.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Brief mindfulness-based training and mindfulness trait attenuate psychological stress in university students: a randomized controlled trial BMC Psychology February 1, 2021
- Emotion Self-Regulation in Neurotic Students: A Pilot Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Assess Its Effectiveness through Brain Signals and Behavioral Data Sensors March 31, 2022
- Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Stress Reduction and Psychological Wellbeing of University Students in Pakistan: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health April 14, 2023
- Effects of the Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) on University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education October 5, 2022
- Mindfulness-based Interventions for Emotional Dysregulation in Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Annals of Neurosciences July 19, 2025
and 12 more in the library
Cites 15
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- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Clarifying the construct of mindfulness in the context of emotion regulation and the process of change in therapy. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Cultivating mindfulness: effects on well‐being Journal of Clinical Psychology May 16, 2008
and 10 more in the library