“Provision of mindfulness training could be an effective component of a wider student mental health strategy”
CLAHRC EoE is pleased to announce the publication of the ‘Mindfulness Student Study’ in the Lancet Public Health. The University of Cambridge and CLAHRC EoE supported randomised controlled study has found that mindfulness training can help reduce stress in undergraduate students during exam time.
Over 600 students at the university participated, being randomised to receive either an 8 week mindfulness course adapted for university students (Mindfulness Skills for Students [MSS]) plus mental health support as usual, or mental health support as usual alone. The primary outcome was self-reported psychological distress during the examination period, as measured with the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE–OM), with higher scores indicating more distress. MSS was found to reduce distress scores during the examination period when compared with support as usual.
Dr Julieta Galante (Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge) co-led the study and reported “This is, to the best of our knowledge, the most robust study to date to assess mindfulness training for students, and backs up previous studies that suggest it can improve mental health and well-being during stressful periods”
CLAHRC EoE Director Professor Peter Jones, co-lead investigator noted “The evidence is mounting that mindfulness training can help people cope with accumulative stress. While these benefits may be similar to some other preventative methods, mindfulness could be a useful addition to the interventions already delivered by university counselling services. It appears to be popular, feasible, acceptable and without stigma.”
To read more about the study, please see:
- Mindful Student Study press release
- Mindful Student Study – Lancet Public Health December 2017
- Mindful Student Study Lancet PH commentary
- MSS appendix Lancet PH
