Improving the psychosocial wellbeing of international students: the relevance of mindfulness

ABSTRACT

In this study we analysed the potential of a mindfulness programme for improving psychosocial wellbeing among students at a Dutch university. Based on interviews and observations of sessions, the study demonstrated that students joined the programme to manage stress and anxiety, cultivate self-awareness, and regulate difficult emotions. They all reported positive outcomes, but students who participated in the sessions regularly and did the homework assignments reported better outcomes, including enhanced self-awareness, self-care, and positive attitudes towards others. Although students reported improved emotion regulation, many still believed that the programme was less strong in this area. The study affirms the potential of mindfulness programmes for improving the psychosocial wellbeing, and builds a case for the integration of mindfulness interventions in university counselling services.     

How does mindfulness modulate daily stress response: evidences from ambulatory assessment

Objective: Mindfulness has been found to be associated with less adverse stress response. However, little is known about how mindfulness modulates stress response in the real daily life. The current study investigated the relation between daily stress and negative emotions, and explored a mediational link via perceived loss of control, and moderation by dispositional mindfulness, to better understand this association. Design: A total of 95 college students were recruited to complete a questionnaire and to report on their stress, perceived loss of control and negative emotions in daily life. Main Outcome Measures: Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) was used to assess dispositional mindfulness. Stress, perceived loss of control and negative emotions were assessed by ambulatory assessment. Results: Stress was positively related with negative emotions at within-person level. Perceived loss of control mediated the relationship between stress and negative emotions. Furthermore, participants with higher levels of dispositional mindfulness showed an attenuated association between stress and anger, and also attenuated associations between perceived loss of control, and anger and fatigue at within-person level. Conclusion: These findings point to perceived loss of control as an important key factor in daily stress effects. Dispositional mindfulness appears to have beneficial effects in that it attenuates the impact of daily stressors on individuals’ wellbeing. Clinical implications and limitations are discussed.     

What Does Self-Care Look like for Online Graduate Mental Health Counseling Students?

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to highlight what self-care looks like for online graduate mental health counseling students and implications for counselor educators. Results come from a program evaluation examining self-care practices for online mental health graduate students. Furthermore, these results will guide the examination of best practices to meet student reported needs while integrating self-care into the program’s mission, program objectives, and curriculum.     

A randomised controlled trial of a brief online mindfulness-based intervention

ObjectivesThere is growing evidence that mindfulness has positive consequences for both psychological and physical health in both clinical and non-clinical populations. The potential benefits of mindfulness underpin a range of therapeutic intervention approaches designed to increase mindfulness in both clinical and community contexts. Self-guided mindfulness-based interventions may be a way to increase access to the benefits of mindfulness. This study explored whether a brief, online, mindfulness-based intervention can increase mindfulness and reduce perceived stress and anxiety/depression symptoms within a student population.MethodOne hundred and four students were randomly allocated to either immediately start a two-week, self-guided, online, mindfulness-based intervention or a wait-list control. Measures of mindfulness, perceived stress and anxiety/depression were administered before and after the intervention period.ResultsIntention to treat analysis identified significant group by time interactions for mindfulness skills, perceived stress and anxiety/depression symptoms. Participation in the intervention was associated with significant improvements in all measured domains, where no significant changes on these measures were found for the control group.ConclusionsThis provides evidence in support of the feasibility and effectiveness of shorter self-guided mindfulness-based interventions. The limitations and implications of this study for clinical practice are discussed.     

PROMOTING THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS THROUGH MINDFULNESS: A FOCUS ON REGULATING DIFFICULT EMOTIONS

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study explores the potential of a mindfulness programme for providing psycho-social support to international students in higher education. The article focuses on analysing the nature of emotional distress among students, how they regulate difficult emotions, and the effects of the mindfulness programme on emotion regulation. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with students before and after the mindfulness programme, and the weekly mindfulness sessions were observed. The study identified that stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, loneliness and insecurity were among the most difficult emotions experienced by international students. Through mindfulness, students improved in awareness of their emotions, learnt to relate to difficult emotions more constructively, and regulated negative emotions more effectively. Nevertheless, many suggested that they would have welcomed more attention to emotion regulation, as it was identified as a key challenge in their lives. These findings have important implications for the psycho-social well-being and academic achievement of international students.     

Comparative Effects and Social Validation of Support Strategies to Promote Mindfulness Practices Among High School Students

Abstract

We compared the effects of support strategies for promoting formal mindfulness practices of 9th grade high school students who participated in a 10-week school-based mindfulness education program. The students also completed social validity ratings of the support strategies they selected and the formal mindfulness practices they learned. All of the support strategies were associated with increased average minutes of formal mindfulness practices. Students who did not select an extra support strategy also had increased minutes of formal mindfulness practices but of less magnitude in contrast to the two most effective strategies. The social validity ratings of the support strategies ranged from equivocal to good approval, and the students gave positive ratings to the majority of formal mindfulness practices. We discuss the implications of these findings for designing mindfulness education programs, implementing practice-promoting support strategies, and conducting mindfulness research with school children and youth.     

Anxiety and dimensions of perfectionism in first year college students: The mediating role of mindfulness

IntroductionAnxiety and perfectionism affect academic success of college students. Mindfulness is associated with decrease anxiety and perfectionism among college students.ObjectiveThis study evaluates the mediating role of dispositional mindfulness on the relationship between adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of perfectionism and anxiety in first year college students.MethodThe subjects, 283 first year college students (59.5% girls), completed self-reported measures of anxiety, perfectionism and dispositional mindfulness.ResultsOur results show that maladaptive perfectionism is associated with greater anxiety, and a higher dispositional mindfulness score is associated with less anxiety symptoms. Also, mindfulness mediates the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and anxiety symptoms, especially in girls. When the shared variance of maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism is statistically controlled, adaptive perfectionism is associated with anxiety symptoms in boys and mindfulness in girls.ConclusionThis study confirms the mediating role of mindfulness on the relation between maladaptive perfectionism and anxiety. Gender differences, limits of the mindfulness measure and future research are discussed.     

Mind–Body Medicine and the Art of Self‐Care: Teaching Mindfulness to Counseling Students Through Yoga,Meditation, and Qigong

A 4‐year qualitative study examined the influence of teaching hatha yoga, meditation, and qigong to counseling graduate students. Participants in the 15‐week, 3‐credit mindfulness‐based stress reduction course reported positive physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and interpersonal changes and substantial effects on their counseling skills and therapeutic relationships. Students expressed different preferences for and experiences with the 3 mindfulness practices. Most students reported intentions of integrating mindfulness practices into their future profession.     

Exploring the Use of Mindful Andragogy to Create Inclusive Classrooms

ABSTRACT

Researchers have indicated that mindful teaching approaches support students and educators throughout the learning process. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of counselor educators with a daily mindfulness practice in the classroom with culturally diverse students. Relational cultural theory (RCT) concepts of relational connections and disconnections were used to explore the participants’ lived experiences of implementing a mindful teaching approach. Purposeful sampling yielded 10 participants who participated in semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed to identify essential themes using an inductive approach. Findings may be useful for counselor educators who seek a greater capacity for awareness, acceptance, empathy, self-care, creativity, and presence when working with diverse students in the classroom.     

Mindfulness,resilience, emotional exhaustion,and turnover intention in secondary physical education teaching

IntroductionResults from the broader psychology literature indicate that mindfulness may be a highly valuable personal resource. However, the construct has enjoyed far less attention in the field of school psychology, specifically within the context of physical education. The stressful nature of physical educators’ work warrants inquiry focused on the interplay between the psychologically supportive constructs of mindfulness and resilience and the psychologically depletive constructs of emotional exhaustion on turnover intention.ObjectiveThis study examined the relationships between secondary physical educators’ trait mindfulness, resilience, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intention.MethodA total of 246 physical educators across the United States completed an online questionnaire measuring trait mindfulness, resilience, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intention. Data were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.ResultsAfter verifying the factor structure, results of structural equation modeling indicated that trait mindfulness was positively associated with resilience, and negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and turnover intention. Resilience was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion, which in turn was positively associated with turnover intention. Resilience partially mediated the trait mindfulness-emotional exhaustion relationship while emotional exhaustion fully mediated the resilience-turnover intention relationship.ConclusionGiven their ability to impact students’ experiences in physical education through the class culture they create, it is crucial that physical educators feel as though they can manage the emotional demands of their work. This study highlights the importance of trait mindfulness and resilience in efforts of enhancing physical educators’ wellbeing and job-related attitudes.     

Improving mindfulness through self-connection

IntroductionMindfulness-based practices have received significant attention recently due to the numerous benefits that result from increased mindfulness. One construct, self-connection, is less well-known but appears to relate to mindfulness.ObjectiveThe current study experimentally manipulated self-connection in an attempt to increase people's mindfulness.MethodA sample of 66 participants journaled for one week. Half of them discussed their days while the other half wrote about aspects of their day that related to self-connection.ResultsNo significant difference in mindfulness emerged between groups after the week of journaling. However, those who journaled about self-connection were significantly more mindful a month later. In contrast, no sustained or significant increase in mindfulness emerged in the control group.ConclusionAlthough limited by its sample size, this study provides initial support for self-connection and its ability to improve mindfulness. More studies are needed to further examine self-connection and its relationship to mindfulness for both researchers and practitioners.     

Mindfulness and emotion regulation: promoting well-being during the transition to college

Background and Objectives: Managing stress is very important for first-year college students adjusting to undergraduate life. Aspects of emotion regulation, including mindfulness and the ability to regulate distressing emotion adaptively, often correlate positively with well-being. However, little research has examined overlapping and/or distinct effects of these constructs in predicting changes in adjustment over a stressful transition. Thus, the present study examined the contributions of mindfulness and adaptive emotion regulation abilities in maintaining well-being during the transition to college. We further examined experience with mind–body practices, which may promote mindfulness and positive adjustment.

Design: Online surveys were administered to 158 undergraduates near the beginning and end of their first semester.

Methods: Near semester start and end, students reported levels of mindfulness, adaptive emotion regulation abilities, emotional and spiritual well-being, and experience with mind–body practices.

Results: Compared to mindfulness, adaptive emotion regulation abilities largely demonstrated stronger cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with well-being. However, mindfulness uniquely protected against changes in depression for students with greater emotion regulation difficulties. Over half of participants reported having tried mind–body practices, but just 1% reported current use.

Conclusions: Promoting mindfulness practices and adaptive emotion regulation abilities at the start of college may build resilience in undergraduate students.     

Mindful Journeys

Abstract

Becoming mindful involves the cultivation of present-moment-attention, a type of awareness that helps us to tune in to our present experience and accept it for what it is, gently, and without judgment. Perhaps because client's issues commonly include elements of rumination, worrying, self-judgment or lack of awareness, mindfulness practices have been considered for their use in mental health interventions. This article offers a rationale for fostering non-judgmental awareness, reviews the ways mindfulness has been applied as an intervention, and applies mindfulness concepts to counseling practice with case examples.     

Mindfulness and False-Memories: The Impact of Mindfulness Practice on the DRM Paradigm

Mindfulness practice is the cultivation of awareness to the present moment and has been shown in recent years to have beneficial effects on cognition. However, to date, the data regarding the impact of mindfulness on memory—and specifically on memory distortions—is scarce and incomplete. The present study was aimed to examine whether mindfulness practice would have an effect on true and false memories. To this end, the effect of mindfulness meditation practice on memory performance was examined in two experiments in which false memories were provoked using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm (Roediger & McDermott, 1995). In Experiment 1, college students were randomly divided into either a 5-week mindfulness-practice group (n = 29) or a waitlist control group (n = 22). In Experiment 2, college students were randomly divided into either a brief mindfulness session (n = 21) or a mind-wandering control group (n = 19). The results indicated that mindfulness increased the recognition of true memories with no effect on spontaneous false-memories, yet increased the rate of provoked false-memories. These findings are discussed in terms of memory sensitivity and response bias, and it is argued that mindfulness may have a lesser effect on encoding processes than previously suggested.     

Integrating mindfulness as self-care into counselling and psychotherapy training

Aim: Within the last 10 years, mindfulness has quickly moved into the mainstream of behavioural medicine, psychotherapy, and counselling. This article examines the potential of applying mindfulness practices to the training of counsellors and psychotherapists. Method: Several qualitative research projects conducted over the past nine years are summarised. Findings: Mindfulness training can enhance the physical and psychological wellbeing of trainees. Implications for training: Mindfulness training is a specific way that training programmes can teach students strategies of self-care that can help prevent burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatisation.     

Effectiveness of an MP3 Christian mindfulness intervention on mindfulness and perceived stress

ABSTRACT

Mindfulness is enfolded in therapies addressing mental health conditions and is informed by secular and Buddhist models. However, mindfulness interventions can be rooted in other theoretical and spiritual frameworks including Christianity, which parallels Buddhist-based mindfulness practices. This study evaluates a mindfulness–based intervention drawing from Christian spiritual practices and discusses its practical implications. The researcher explored whether a Moving Picture Experts Group-3 (MP3)-based Christian mindfulness intervention would improve mindfulness states and decrease stress, measured by the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), respectively. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) resulted in significant differences between pre- and post-test scores in experimental versus control groups on the MAAS and PSS after a 6–8-week intervention of a student sample (n?=?80) from two private, religiously-affiliated universities. Higher MAAS scores reflected improved mindfulness states, F(1,80)?=?11.947, p?=?.01 with a partial η^2?=?.134. Lower PSS scores reflect lowered perceived stress, F(1,80)?=?3.849, p?=?.053 with a partial η^2?=?.047.     

The effects of mindfulness training on beginners' skill acquisition in dart throwing: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesThe present study was into whether or not mindfulness training, based on the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment approach (MAC), can improve beginners' skill acquisition of dart throwing.DesignRandomised controlled trial.MethodsA total of 43 first-year college students who had not played darts professionally prior to the study were randomly assigned to either an attention control group (n = 21) or a mindfulness training group (n = 22) during an eight-week dart training program. Dart throwing and psychological variables were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and two-week follow-up.ResultsTwo-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the mindfulness group, but not the attention control group had significant improvements in mindfulness, experiential acceptance, and flow at post-intervention and follow-up. Although both groups improved dart throwing performance after the intervention, the improvement of the mindfulness group was statistically higher in comparison to that of the attention control group.ConclusionsIt was concluded that the MAC approach could improve the performance and adaptive sport experience of beginners in dart throwing.     

Personal Therapy and Self-Care in the Making of Psychologists

Abstract

Psychologists are skilled in assessing, researching, and treating patients’ distress, but frequently experience difficulty in applying these talents to themselves. The authors offer 13 research-supported and theoretically neutral self-care strategies catered to psychologists and those in training: valuing the person of the psychologist, refocusing on the rewards, recognizing the hazards, minding the body, nurturing relationships, setting boundaries, restructuring cognitions, sustaining healthy escapes, maintaining mindfulness, creating a flourishing environment, cultivating spirituality and mission, fostering creativity and growth, and profiting from personal therapy. The latter deserves special emphasis in the making of health care psychologists. These strategies are recommended both during training and throughout the career span. Recommendations are offered for enhancing and publicizing systems of self-care throughout the profession.     

Yin yoga and mindfulness: a five week randomized controlled study evaluating the effects of the YOMI program on stress and worry

Background and objectives: The YOMI program is a psychoeducational training and physical practice-based program that bridges knowledge from evidence-based psychotherapy with the practice of mindfulness and yin yoga. It consists of 10 content-specific sessions and does not include home assignments. The primary purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of the five-week YOMI program on perceived stress, worry and mindfulness in a non-clinical sample.

Design and method: In this randomized controlled trial participants were assigned to two groups. Group 1 participated in the five-week intervention twice a week while Group 2 was assigned to a waiting-list condition and participated in the intervention after Group 1. All measures were administered through self-report questionnaires, conducted via a web-based program.

Results and conclusions: The results of the study indicated significant effects of the YOMI program on decreasing stress and worry, and increasing mindfulness. Notably these changes were still present at five-week follow up. Consistent with the hypotheses, results suggested that the YOMI program established a group setting where individuals learned to use tools and methods to facilitate better self-directed practice. The study shows moderate to large effect sizes.     

Mindfulness Among Genetic Counselors Is Associated with Increased Empathy and Work Engagement and Decreased Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Genetic counselors experience high rates of compassion fatigue and an elevated risk for burnout, both of which can negatively impact patient care and retention in the profession. In other healthcare professions, mindfulness training has been successfully used to address similar negative psychological sequelae and to bolster empathy, which is the foundation of our counseling work. We aimed to assess associations between mindfulness and key professional variables, including burnout, compassion fatigue, work engagement, and empathy. Data were collected via an anonymous, online survey that included validated measures of mindfulness and these key professional variables. The survey was completed by 441 genetic counselors involved in direct patient care. Half of the respondents (50.1%) reported engaging in yoga, meditation, and/or breathing exercises. Mindfulness was positively correlated with work engagement (r?=?0.24, p?<?0.001) and empathy (as measured through four subscales: perspective taking (r?=?0.15, p?=?0.002), empathic concern (r?=?0.11, p?=?0.03), fantasy (r?=???0.11, p?=?0.03) and personal distress (r?=???0.15, p?=?0.001)). Mindfulness was negatively correlated with compassion fatigue (r?=???0.48, p?<?0.001) and burnout (r?=???0.50, p?<?0.001). Given these findings, mindfulness training may be a valuable addition to graduate and continuing education for genetic counselors. The integration of mindfulness into the genetic counseling field will likely improve professional morale and well-being, while promoting workforce retention and bolstering the relational and counseling aspects of our clinical work.