Mindfulness, self-compassion, resiliency and wellbeing in higher education: a recipe to increase academic performance

ABSTRACT

Universities are facing a difficult challenge in supporting good mental health whilst striving to enhance academic performance. The present study aimed to specifically investigate the relationship between attitudinal and personality constructs that are associated with wellbeing and to explore their association with student academic outcomes. Two-hundred and six undergraduate students were recruited and were given questionnaires measuring mindfulness, self-compassion, resiliency, procrastination, consideration of future consequences, self-criticism and social comparison. At the end of the academic year, the researchers accessed their academic records and documented their academic performance. Results indicated that there are strong, clear associations between better academic performance and higher resiliency, mindfulness, self-compassion and consideration of future consequences, and negative associations to procrastination. We concluded that there is a clear gain to be had in academic performance through enhancing these elements using appropriate interventions which are user friendly, affordable and can be embedded into existing student learning and support to reinforce adaptive coping and life skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Mindfulness
• self-compassion
• self-criticism
• resiliency
• higher education
• student performance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Helen Egan

Helen Egan is a Reader in Health Psychology and a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is interested in the health and wellbeing of students in higher education and in enhanced personal tuition interventions.

Mark O’Hara

Mark O’Hara is the Associate Dean for the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences (for Student Learning Experience & Quality Enhancement) and a national fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Amy Cook

Amy Cook is an Associate Professor at Birmingham City University, and a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy she is also Head of the Department for Psychology and has a particular interest in mental health of students.

Michail Mantzios

Michail Mantzios is a Reader in Health Psychology and a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is interested in developing mindfulness interventions for enhancing student academic outcomes and health.