Mindful approach to University education

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Mindfulness Studies

Background:

• Mindful education can enhance student reflection and clinical practice by fostering helping relationships.
• Mindfulness skills are crucial for effective therapeutic interactions and patient care.
• Assessing mindfulness skills requires validated measurement tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a mindfulness-based university training on students' mindfulness skills.
• To validate the Italian version of the 5-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (5FMQ).
• To explore the effectiveness of role-playing and feedback in mindfulness training.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-seven Neuro and Psychomotor Therapy students participated.
• Participants completed the 5-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (5FMQ) pre- and post-training.
• A mindfulness-based training program incorporating role-playing and group feedback was implemented.

Main Results:

• The Italian version of the 5FMQ demonstrated good psychometric properties.
• A significant increase in the 'Observing' subscale of mindfulness was observed post-training.
• Mindfulness-based training positively impacted students' mindfulness skills.

Conclusions:

• Mindfulness-based university training can effectively enhance students' mindfulness skills.
• Role-playing and feedback group sessions are valuable pedagogical tools for improving mindfulness.
• The validated Italian 5FMQ is a reliable instrument for assessing mindfulness in this population.