The Benefits of Mindfulness for University Students

Abstract

Background: Mindfulness training is increasingly being adopted to address mental health concerns among university students (Kuyken et al., 2017). Previous research has supported mindfulness with empirical evidence as an autonomous, accessible, and cost-effective intervention for stress and anxiety (Flett, Conner, Rordan, Patterson, & Hayne, 2020).

Aim: The purpose of this study was (1) to examine the prevalence of student stress and anxiety alongside student mindfulness interest and experience; (2) to examine the benefits of mindfulness training through the perspectives of cognitive neuroscience, population health, and behavioral economics; and (3) to examine the cost-effectiveness of mindfulness training for university students.

Methods: To address these aims, an anonymous online survey incorporating both the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was administered to students at a liberal arts university in New England to quantify the prevalence of student stress and mindfulness. It was hypothesized that scores on the PSS would be inversely correlated with scores on the FFMQ .

Results: The results demonstrated a significant negative correlation between FFMQ and PSS scores, r (107) = -.507, p < 0.01.

Conclusion: The implications of this study are beneficial in establishing mindfulness training as an effective and cost-effective approach to promoting mental health in students. The study concluded with a data-informed recommendation for educational strategy based upon survey and research findings.