Effects of a Mindfulness Program for University Students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a brief and flexible mindfulness program in reducing anxiety and increasing mindful awareness in psychology university students. The sample consisted of 72 psychology students who participated in four different studies. The first was a quasi-experimental study and the remaining three studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT). A mindfulness program was applied to intervention groups. Anxiety (STAI-T) and mindful awareness (FFMQ) were assessed before and immediately after the intervention. Anxiety was reduced and mindful awareness increased in the intervention groups (p < .05). In the three RCTs the magnitude of change (between groups) showed a moderate increase in mindful awareness in one study (d = 0.68) and a large increase in the remaining two (d = 1.32, 1.01), and as regards anxiety, large changes were observed in the three studies (d = 0.80, 1.04, 0.81). As a conclusion, this mindfulness program proved to be effective in reducing anxiety and increasing mindful awareness.

Keywords

• anxiety
• mindfulness
• mindful awareness
• university students