ABSTRACT
Background and objectives
An increasing number of college students in the U.S. report elevations in stress and anxiety. One approach to addressing this need is to offer skills training programs.
Design
This study used a stepped-wedge design to test the effects of a mindfulness-based coping-enhancement program on college students’ stress-management, emotion regulation, coping, and well-being. The 6-week program includes didactics and practices for mindfulness, coping with challenging situations, regulating emotions, and compassion for oneself and others.
Methods
Participants (N = 208) were predominantly first-year college students living in residence halls on campus, where the program was delivered.
Results
Students who received the program were compared to those who had not yet received the program and reported improved mindfulness, executive control, active coping, self-compassion, social connectedness, resilience, and flourishing. The majority of these changes were maintained at a three-month follow-up.
Conclusions
The results of this study suggest that the program shows promise for supporting well-being in college students.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the campus partners who helped recruit participants for the research.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Ethical Approval
This study was approved by the University of Washington’s Human Subjects Division (Study00002754).
Data Sharing
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, LJL, upon reasonable request.