A mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress in university students (the Mindful Student Study): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial
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.