Addressing Psychological Distress in College Students Through Mindfulness Training: A Pre-Post Intervention Across
Rebecca Ciacchini1,2, Silvia Villani1, Mario Miniati3
1Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
Summary
Mindfulness interventions effectively reduce anxiety and depression in college students. The Mindfulness Laboratory (MLAB) program showed benefits across online, hybrid, and in-person formats, highlighting its feasibility for student mental health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Mental Health
- Mindfulness Studies
Background:
- College students face significant psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and stress, exacerbated by academic demands and global events.
- The COVID-19 pandemic intensified mental health challenges for university populations.
- Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly explored as potential tools to support student well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness and feasibility of the Mindfulness Laboratory (MLAB) program for psychology students.
- To compare the outcomes of MLAB delivered via online, hybrid, and in-person formats.
- To evaluate the impact of MLAB on various psychological measures, including mindfulness, stress, resilience, sleep, depression, anxiety, and self-compassion.
Main Methods:
- A structured mindfulness program (MLAB) was delivered over three academic years to 194 psychology students in Italy.
- Participants completed pre- and post-intervention assessments using standardized self-report measures for mindfulness, stress, resilience, sleep quality, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and self-compassion.
- A non-randomized control group of 51 students was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed in mindfulness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Resilience showed a smaller but significant increase.
- Sleep quality remained stable, and self-compassion slightly declined.
- No significant differences in effectiveness were found across the online, hybrid, and in-person delivery formats.
Conclusions:
- The Mindfulness Laboratory (MLAB) program is feasible and beneficial for improving the mental health of university students.
- Mindfulness interventions demonstrate comparable effectiveness regardless of delivery modality (online, hybrid, in-person).
- Further controlled studies with long-term follow-up are recommended to validate these findings and explore sustained benefits.
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