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.
Adolescents who used meth/amphetamine (speed) or MDMA (ecstasy) in grade 10 were more likely to have elevated depressive symptoms in grade 11. After adjusting for other factors, MDMA use increased the odds by 1.7 times, and meth/amphetamine use by 1.6 times. The risk was highest among those who used both drugs concurrently, with odds 1.9 times greater. These associations did not differ by gender or prior depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that synthetic drug use independently predicts later depressive symptoms in adolescents, possibly due to neurotoxic effects, and that adolescence may be a period of heightened vulnerability.