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Investigating Adherence to an Online Introductory Mindfulness Program

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Abstract

A growing body of empirical research supports the position that mindfulness-based interventions are effective in treating psychological problems, as well as benefiting healthy individuals. The current study used a sample of undergraduate students at a public university with no prior meditation experience (n = 169). Adherence predictors, benefits, and obstacles experienced during a 10 session online mindfulness meditation (MM) intervention were examined. Level of motivation, as well as conscientiousness and trait mindfulness, predicted the level of adherence. The current study also found that adherent and non-adherent participants did not significantly differ in the number and severity of obstacles experienced. Results also show that brief online MM interventions can increase mindfulness and psychological flexibility in adherent individuals. However, these findings should be viewed in the context of high attrition rates and small effect sizes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA

    Leila Forbes & Susan K. Johnson

  2. College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA

    Daniel Gutierrez

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  1. Leila Forbes
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  2. Daniel Gutierrez
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  3. Susan K. Johnson
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Contributions

LF: designed and executed the study, analyzed the data, and wrote the paper. DG: collaborated with the design, assisted in data analysis, and collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript. SKJ: designed the study, and collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Leila Forbes.

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Conflict of Interest

Leila Forbes declares that she has no conflict of interest. Dr. Daniel Gutierrez declares that he has no conflict of interest. Dr. Susan Johnson declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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This study was not grant funded.

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Forbes, L., Gutierrez, D. & Johnson, S.K. Investigating Adherence to an Online Introductory Mindfulness Program. Mindfulness 9, 271–282 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0772-4

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