TY - JOUR 
A1 - Martínez Rubio, David
AU - Navarrete, Jaime
AU - Montero Marín, Jesús
T1 - Feasibility, Effectiveness, and Mechanisms of a Brief Mindfulness- and Compassion-Based Program to Reduce Stress in University Students: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Y1 - 2022
SN - 1660-4601
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11268/11315
AB - The mental health of university students is a public health concern, as psychopathology
has significantly risen among this population. Mindfulness-based programs may support their
mental health, though more research is needed. We used a two-armed pilot randomized controlled
trial to study the feasibility, preliminary effectiveness, and potential mechanisms of a brief 6-week
instructor-led mindfulness- and compassion-based program (MCBP for University Life) on perceived
stress and psychological distress. Thirty undergraduate psychology students participated (15 in the
intervention group, and 15 as wait-list controls). Those in the intervention arm engaged well with the
course and formal at-home practice, attending at least five sessions and meditating between 4–6 days
per week. Significant improvements in perceived stress, psychological distress, mindfulness skills,
decentering, self-compassion, and experiential avoidance were found at the end of the intervention,
while the wait-list group remained unchanged. There were significant differences between the two
groups in those variables at post-test, favoring the intervention arm with major effects. Reductions
in stress were mediated by improvements in mindfulness skills, decentering, and self-compassion;
meanwhile reductions in psychological distress were mediated by improvements in decentering.
These results suggest that this intervention might be feasible and effective for university students,
but more high-quality research is needed.
KW - Atención plena
KW - Estrés mental
KW - Estudiante universitario
KW - Bienestar del estudiante
KW - Psicología
LA - spa
ER -