Can the virtual implementation of a college course on human flourishing improve student flourishing during COVID-19? A multi-university study.
Blake A Colaianne, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Karen Kurotsuchi Inkelas, John D. Dunne, David Germano, Mark Greenberg, Richard J. Davidson, Robert W Roeser
Journal of American College Health February 5, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2025.2452968 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre/post/five-month follow-up propensity-score matched evaluation Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 168 |
| Population | Undergraduate students from three universities |
| Duration | One semester course with post-course and five-month follow-up assessments |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Mental health Curriculum Education, distance Students Universities Female Young adult Covid-19 Sars-cov-2 Wellbeing Emerging adulthood Flourishing Holistic education |
| Key points | Relative to matched comparisons, students in the course showed significant improvements in mindfulness, compassion, and common humanity, and decreases in depressive symptoms. Flourishing and depressive-symptom improvements were significant at post-course but did not maintain significance at five-month follow-up. The authors conclude that contemplative education on human flourishing is a promising approach to undergraduate mental health, even in virtual settings. |
Abstract
Objective: Evaluate student effects of participating in an undergraduate academic course, Art and Science of Human Flourishing, that was offered in a synchronous, virtual format during the Fall 2020 semester at three universities.
Participants: Three combined cohorts of undergraduate students from three universities (n = 168).
Methods: A pre/post/5-month follow-up, propensity-score matched evaluation was conducted. Measures assessed attention skills, social-emotional skills, flourishing, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality.
Results: Relative to comparisons, students in the course reported significant improvements in proximal outcomes related to mindfulness, compassion, and common humanity, as well as decreases in depressive symptoms. Improvements in distal outcomes of flourishing and depressive symptoms were significant at post-course but did not maintain significance at five-month follow-up.
Conclusions: The academic study of human flourishing and contemplative education offers a promising and unique approach to supporting undergraduate mental health and well-being, even in virtual settings.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- The role of mindfulness and compassion in early adults' subsequent mental health, coping and compliance with health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective longitudinal study. Social and Personality Psychology Compass August 24, 2023
- Can the Academic and Experiential Study of Flourishing Improve Flourishing in College Students? A Multi-University Study. Mindfulness September 2022
- Promoting college students’ mindfulness, mental health, and self-compassion in the time of COVID-19: feasibility and efficacy of an online, interactive mindfulness-based stress reduction randomized trial Journal of College Student Psychotherapy April 10, 2022
- Does variability across three universities in the implementation of a college course on human flourishing affect student outcomes? Journal of American College Health July 9, 2021
- The plasticity of well-being: A training-based framework for the cultivation of human flourishing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 7, 2020
and 5 more in the library