The Lancet Public Health
December 18, 2017
Julieta Galante, Géraldine Dufour, Maris Vainre et al.
508 citations
University students who completed an 8-week mindfulness course (Mindfulness Skills for Students) plus usual mental health support reported less psychological distress during exams than those receiving usual support alone. In a randomized trial of 616 students at the University of Cambridge, mean distress scores were 0.87 in the mindfulness group versus 1.11 in the control group, a moderate effect. 37% of mindfulness participants had distress above a clinical threshold compared to 57% of controls. On average, six students needed to be offered the course to prevent one from experiencing clinical distress levels. No adverse reactions related to self-harm or suicidality occurred. The findings suggest mindfulness training can be an effective component of a broader student mental health strategy.
Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
September 10, 2020
Julieta Galante, Jan Stochl, Géraldine Dufour et al.
69 citations
Providing an 8-week mindfulness course to university students improved self-reported psychological distress and mental well-being for up to a year compared to usual mental health support, with larger effects during stressful periods. No differences were detected in use of counseling services or workload management, and no adverse effects related to self-harm or suicidality were found. The findings suggest mindfulness training increases resilience to stress, though loss to follow-up was a limitation.
BMJ Open
November 1, 2016
Julieta Galante, Géraldine Dufour, Alice Benton et al.
46 citations
A pragmatic randomized controlled trial will test whether an 8-week mindfulness course, offered preventatively to University of Cambridge students free from active crises or severe mental illness, reduces psychological distress during exams and improves resilience to stress for at least one year, compared to usual mental health provision. At least 550 students will be randomly assigned to the course or to standard care. Psychological distress will be measured at baseline, after the intervention, during exams, and at one-year follow-up. The trial will also assess use of mental health services, exam performance, well-being, altruism, and coping. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals.
PLoS One
July 17, 2024
Julieta Galante, Jesus Montero-Marin, Maris Vainre et al.
8 citations
A randomized controlled trial found that participants who completed an 8-week mindfulness-based program reported altered states of consciousness—including experiences of unity, transcendence of time and space, and feelings of bliss—that persisted up to a year later. Compared to a control group, those in the mindfulness program showed significantly higher scores on measures of altered states at both post-intervention and 12-month follow-up. The findings suggest that mindfulness training can produce enduring changes in subjective experience beyond the meditation session itself.
BMJ Open
November 23, 2023
Adam P Wagner, Julieta Galante, Géraldine Dufour et al.
7 citations
Providing university students with a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce psychological distress is not cost-effective compared with usual support, according to an economic evaluation of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. The intervention was more costly and produced no significant improvement in quality-adjusted life years or psychological distress outcomes, suggesting it does not represent good value for money.
April 8, 2023
Julieta Galante, Jesús Montero‐marín, Maris Vainre et al.
3 citations
preprint
An 8-week mindfulness-based programme (MBP) led to more intense experiences of unity and disembodiment in daily life compared with mental health support as usual alone. University of Cambridge students without severe mental illness who took the MBP reported stronger feelings of oneness and separation from the body. Meditation practice itself predicted reports of unity, blissful state, insightfulness, disembodiment, and changed meanings. The findings suggest causal links between mindfulness practice and specific altered states of consciousness, and practitioners should anticipate and manage these experiences appropriately.
Apollo (University of Cambridge)
November 17, 2016
Peter Jones, Géraldine Dufour, Julieta Galante et al.
1 citation
A collaborative research project between the University of Cambridge and the NIHR CLAHRC East of England is investigating whether mindfulness can reduce student stress. The article describes the project's purpose, focus, and how mindfulness sessions are delivered to students.