Amanvermez, Y., Rahmadiana, M., Karyotaki, E., de Wit, L., Ebert, D. D., Kessler, R. C., & Cuijpers, P. (2023). Stress management interventions for college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis: Science and Practice. Clinical Psychology, 30(4), 423–444. APA PsycArticles®. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12342
A comprehensive introductory resource, Amanvermez et al (2023) provide a thorough exploration of mindfulness-based interventions for college students experiencing high levels of stress. The authors conducted a systematic review of 54 articles on stress-management interventions in college settings with a control group published up to the year 2018. This article will likely serve as a starting point for researchers interested mindfulness' effects on college students in high-stress environments.
Cavanagh, K., Churchard, A., O’Hanlon, P., Mundy, T., Votolato, P., Jones, F., Gu, J., & Strauss, C. (2018). A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Brief Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention in a Non-clinical Population: Replication and Extension. Mindfulness, 9(4), 1191–1205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0856-1
This article explores the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in non-clinical settings, namely colleges and universities. In the study, 154 students and faculty at the University of Sussex were used as subjects, with a portion enrolled in "Learn Mindfulness Online" course, and others as a control. Baseline questionnaires gauging their stress levels were administered before and after the course. The authors noted that participants who attended the course reported lower stress levels, although further research is needed. Nevertheless, the article demonstrates a correlation between mindfulness practices and stress reduction in universities.
MacDonald, H. Z., & Neville, T. (2023). 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, 37(3), 260–278. Academic Search Complete. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2022.2028329
MacDonald and Neville (2023) present a most timely study in mindfulness for college students by directly addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 27 students at Emmanuel College were given a pre-work questionnaire. The test group then enrolled in an eight-week mindfulness course, while the control group did not. The results showed that students in the course had moderately lower stress levels than the control group. This study is methodologically similar to Cavanagh et al (2018), but its novelty in including the COVID-19 pandemic should not be underappreciated.
Ramler, T. R., Tennison, L. R., Lynch, J., & Murphy, P. (2016). Mindfulness and the College Transition: The Efficacy of an Adapted Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention in Fostering Adjustment among First-Year Students. Mindfulness, 7(1), 179–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0398-3
In Ramler et al (2016), the focus narrows to first-year student populations. The authors employ the standard methodology of dividing 62 first-year students into a test group and a control group. The test group participated in an eight-week mindfulness training program. The results indicated that the mindfulness-based intervention can reduce stress levels, and interestingly enough, did so at a higher rate for male participants vis-a-vis female participants. This study is perhaps most useful for college administrators than psychologists or students.
