Abstract
College student anxiety is a rising recurrent problem. It is the foremost diagnosed and treated mental health condition and has many negative consequences, including attrition and course failure. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is an approach to anxiety reduction comprised of self-regulation and orientation. Meta-analyses have been conducted on MM with adults and children, but not with college age students who are unique in that they have a distinctive set of stressors. Therefore, we examined the effects of MM on anxiety in college students by conducting a meta-analysis. We searched 11 electronic databases, hand searched select journals, and unpublished literature. We located 25 primary studies, providing 28 comparisons, with 1492 participants. The overall summary effect was .56 (p < .001). Major, level of study, MM practice outside of the intervention, and number of sessions moderated the effects of MM on anxiety. Future researchers should examine the specific needs of subgroups: men vs. women, and graduate vs. undergraduate students. Additionally, researchers should test interventions that fit the needs of today’s college students, by limiting outside practice and offering a minimum of eight instructor-led sessions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American College of Health Association. (2015a). National College Health Assessment Spring 2015 reference group executive summary [Data file]. http://www.achancha.org/reports_ACHA-NCHAII.html
American College of Health Association. (2015b). National College Health Assessment Spring 2015 reference group data report [Data file]. http://www.achancha.org/reports_ACHA-NCHAII.html
Bamber, M. D., & Kraenzle Schneider, J. (2016). Mindfulness-based meditation to decrease stress and anxiety in college students: a narrative synthesis of the research. Educational Research Review, 18, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.12.004.
Beddoe, A. E., & Murphy, S. O. (2004). Does mindfulness decrease stress and foster empathy among nursing students? The Journal of Nursing Education, 43(7), 305–312. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20040701-07.
Birnbaum, L. (2008). The use of mindfulness training to create an "accompanying place" for social work students. Social Work Education, 27(8), 837–852. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470701538330.
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009). Introduction to meta-analysis. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, LTD.
Brown, K. W., & Cordon, S. (2009). Toward a phenomenology of mindfulness: subjective experience and emotional correlates. In Clinical handbook of mindfulness (pp. 59–81). New York, NY: Springer.
Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society (2014). History of MBSR. Retrieved from http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/stress-reduction/history-of-mbsr/
Chiesa, A., & Malinowski, P. (2011). Mindfulness-based approaches: are they all the same? Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(4), 402–424. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20776.
Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in health people: a review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 593–600. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2008.0495.
de Vibe, M., Solhaug, I., Tyssen, R., Friborg, O., Rosenvinge, J. H., Sørlie, T., & Bjørndal, A. (2013). Mindfulness training for stress management: a randomised controlled study of medical and psychology students. BMC Medical Education, 13(1), 107, open access. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-13-107.
Duval, S., & Tweedie, R. (2000). Trim and fill: a simple funnel-plot-based method of testing and adjusting for publication bias in meta-analysis. Biometrics, 56(2), 455–463. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0006-341X.2000.00455.x.
Ghorbani, N., Cunningham, C. J., & Watson, P. (2010). Comparative analysis of integrative self-knowledge, mindfulness, and private self-consciousness in predicting responses to stress in Iran. International Journal of Psychology, 45, 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207590903473768.
Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., & Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357–368. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018.
Grossman, P., & Van Dam, N. T. (2011). Mindfulness, by any other name trials and tribulations of sati in western psychology and science. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 219–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/14639947.2011.564841.
Gunaratana, B. H. (2011). What meditation is. In Mindfulness in plain English. (2nd. ed.). Sommerville, MA: Wisdom Publications.
Head, L. Q., & Lindsey, J. D. (1983). Anxiety and the university student: a brief review of the professional literature. College Student Journal, 17, 176–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2014.887571.
Hughes, B. M. (2005). Study, examinations, and stress: blood pressure assessments in college students. Educational Review, 57, 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/0013191042000274169.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: past, present and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016.
Kang, Y. S., Choi, S. Y., & Ryu, E. (2009). The effectiveness of a stress coping program based on mindfulness meditation on the stress, anxiety, and depression experienced by nursing students in Korea. Nurse Education Today, 29(5), 538–543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2008.12.003.
Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., Fortin, G., Masse, M., Therien, P., Boucahrd, V., & Hoffman, S. G. (2013). Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(6), 763–771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.05.005.
Kjellgren, A., & Taylor, S. (2008). Mapping Zazen meditation as a developmental process: exploring the experiences of experienced and inexperienced meditators. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 40(2), 224–250.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer.
Malinowski, P. (2013a). Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation. Frontiers of Neuroscience, 7, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00008.
Malinowski, P. (2013b). The Liverpool Mindfulness Model [web log comment]. http://meditation-research.org.uk/2013/02/the-liverpool-mindfulness-mode/.
Masuda, A., & Tully, E. C. (2012). The role of mindfulness and psychological flexibility in somatization, depression, anxiety, and general psychological distress in a nonclinical college sample. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 17, 66–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156587211423400.
Maupin, E. W. (1962). Zen Buddhism: a psychological review. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 26(4), 362–378. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0041615.
Parish, K. A. (2011). Quieting the cacophony of the mind: the role of mindfulness in adult learning. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 71(10-A), 3499.
Rapgay, L., & Bystrisky, A. (2009). Classical mindfulness: an introduction to its theory and practice for clinical application. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1172, 148–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04405.x.
Regehr, C., Glancy, D., & Pitts, A. (2013). Interventions to reduce stress in university students: a review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 148(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.11.026.
Shonin, E., Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. (2013). Meditation awareness training (MAT) for improved psychological well-being: a qualitative examination of participant experiences. Journal of Religion and Health, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-013-9679-0.
Sterne, J. A. C., Sutton, A. J., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Terrin, N., Jones, D. R., Lau, J., Higgins, J. P. T. (2011). Recommendations for examining and interpreting funnel plot asymmetry in meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials. British Medical Journal, 343, open access. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4002.
Stew, G. (2011). Mindfulness training for occupational therapy students. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(6), 269–276. https://doi.org/10.4276/030802211X13074383957869.
Treadway, M. T., & Lazar, S. W. (2010). Meditation and neuroplasticity: using mindfulness to change the brain. In R. A. Baer (Ed.), Assessing mindfulness and acceptance processes in clients: illuminating the theory and practice of change (pp. 186–205). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications Inc..
Weinstein, N., Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). A multi-method examination of the effects of mindfulness on stress attribution, coping, and emotional well-being. Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 374–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2008.12.008.
Zen Buddhism (2017). What is Zen? [Webpage]. http://www.zen-buddhism.net/.
Zoogman, S., Goldberg, S. B., Hoyt, W. T., & Miller, L. (2014). Mindfulness interventions with youth: a meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 6(2), 290–302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-013-0260-4.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Dr. Kraenzle Schneider, for her time, effort, guidance, and comments through several revisions of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical Approval
This article did not contain human participants or animals.
Conflict of Interest
Author Dr. Mandy Bamber declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author Erin Morpeth declares that she has no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bamber, M.D., Morpeth, E. Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on College Student Anxiety: a Meta-Analysis. Mindfulness 10, 203–214 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0965-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0965-5