PROMOTING THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS THROUGH MINDFULNESS: A FOCUS ON REGULATING DIFFICULT EMOTIONS
Contemporary Buddhism July 3, 2018 DOI: 10.1080/14639947.2019.1572306 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | International students in higher education |
| Intervention | Mindfulness programme |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | International students reported stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, loneliness and insecurity as their most difficult emotions. After the mindfulness programme, they showed improved emotional awareness, related to difficult emotions more constructively, and regulated negative emotions more effectively, though many wanted more emphasis on emotion regulation, which they identified as a key challenge. |
Abstract
This qualitative study explores the potential of a mindfulness programme for providing psycho-social support to international students in higher education. The article focuses on analysing the nature of emotional distress among students, how they regulate difficult emotions, and the effects of the mindfulness programme on emotion regulation. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with students before and after the mindfulness programme, and the weekly mindfulness sessions were observed. The study identified that stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, loneliness and insecurity were among the most difficult emotions experienced by international students. Through mindfulness, students improved in awareness of their emotions, learnt to relate to difficult emotions more constructively, and regulated negative emotions more effectively. Nevertheless, many suggested that they would have welcomed more attention to emotion regulation, as it was identified as a key challenge in their lives. These findings have important implications for the psycho-social well-being and academic achievement of international students.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Clarifying the construct of mindfulness in the context of emotion regulation and the process of change in therapy. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). Psychological Assessment April 11, 2011
- Mindfulness, by any other name…: trials and tribulations of sati in western psychology and science Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Toward the Integration of Meditation into Higher Education: A Review of Research Evidence Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education March 1, 2011
and 2 more in the library