Beyond distress: a sequential quantitative investigation of MBSR through a dual-factor model of mental health in college students.
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2025 Ding-Zhong Huang, Rohani Ismail, Kar Kheng Yeoh et al.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) among college students improved positive mental health with a large, sustained effect (d = 0.71) at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up, but did not significantly reduce psychological distress compared to a waitlist control. Cross-sectional analyses showed mindfulness was positively linked to well-being and negatively linked to distress, with sleep quality acting as a potential mediator, especially for positive mental health. The study used a sequential design: a cross-sectional survey of 406 students and a randomized controlled trial of 120 students assigned to an 8-week MBSR program or waitlist.