Addressing Psychological Distress in College Students Through Mindfulness Training: A Pre-Post Intervention Across Three Cohorts with Different Delivery Methods.
International journal of environmental research and public health June 27, 2025 Rebecca Ciacchini, Silvia Villani, Mario Miniati et al.
College students experience high rates of psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. A structured mindfulness-based program called Mindfulness Laboratory (MLAB) was delivered to 194 psychology students in Italy across online, hybrid, and in-person formats over three academic years. Among the 176 students who completed pre- and post-intervention assessments, improvements were observed in mindfulness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, with a smaller increase in resilience. Sleep quality remained unchanged, and self-compassion slightly declined. No significant differences emerged across the three delivery formats, indicating comparable effectiveness regardless of modality. These results suggest that mindfulness-based interventions are feasible and beneficial for university students.