Effects of the Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) on University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Rates of mental health issues have been increasing among university students. This study investigates the effects of the Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) on academic students on mindfulness, emotional regulation, depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, optimism, positive solitude, and loneliness. A quasi-experimental research was conducted, with pre- and post-test comparative measurements in three groups: in-person (IG), synchronous online (OG), and passive control (CG). A diverse group of students (n = 150; mean age = 25.4 ± 8.31) participated from two universities in Portugal. When compared to the CG, both active groups (IG and OG) demonstrated a beneficial interaction effect in acceptance, positive solitude, optimism, and mindfulness. The IG demonstrated a positive interaction effect in awareness and satisfaction with life, whereas the OG indicated a favorable interaction effect in impulse. When analyzing the intra-group effects, both active groups presented a significant improvement in stress, emotion regulation, mindfulness, positive solitude, and optimism. The OG demonstrated an improvement in awareness and loneliness. The main limitations of this research are that students were not randomly assigned, and groups were heterogeneous in nationality, education level, and sex. Nonetheless, PIM has indicated beneficial results in both IG and OG, and is a promising intervention for the prevention of mental health issues (e.g., stress, difficulties in emotional regulation, and loneliness), as well as for the promotion of well-being (e.g., positive solitude, mindfulness, life satisfaction, and optimism).

Mindfulness-based interventions in undergraduate students: a systematic review.

ObjectiveTo describe how mindfulness-based intervention (MBIs) are held with undergraduate students, systematize the outcomes of these interventions and indicate possible limitations. Method: Systematic searches were performed in seven databases in January 2019 with the following descriptors: ("mindfulness intervention" AND ("undergraduate" OR "college" OR "students"). Results: A total of 510 articles were found, and 19 articles fully met the inclusion criteria. The searches showed a visible growth in this field of research as articles publications increased in the past years. Regardless of intervention's length, most studies reported beneficial effects. The examination of Anxiety, Stress, and Depression constructs have shown to be predominant. Even though study designs were mostly randomized controlled trials (RCT), it was noticed a shortage use of physiological measures and follow-up assessments. Conclusions: Nonetheless, MBIs have shown to be promising interventions to promote mental health in academic settings.

Effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness in senior students.

Mindfulness-based interventions have been applied in diverse populations and achieved mental health benefits. This study examined the effects of a brief mindfulness program for emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness on senior students in Brazil. The intervention consisted of six weekly meetings attended by 30 participants. It is a pre-experimental research, with pre- and post-test comparative and correlation measurements. The preliminary results, which relied on parametrical and non-parametrical tests, revealed a reduction in total emotional regulation difficulties (p = 0.0001; r = - 0.55). Also, there was an increase in the levels of mindfulness in the subtests for both dimensions under evaluation: "Awareness" (p = 0.0001; d = 0.77) and "Acceptance" (p = 0.048; d = 0.37). By associating the amount of meditative practices performed by students with the variables, a significant positive correlation was found with the mindfulness dimension "Awareness" (rP = 0.422; p = 0.020), and there was a significant negative correlation with Difficulties in emotion regulation (rS = - 0.478; p = 0.008) and with its respective subscales "Non-acceptance" (rS = - 0.654; p = 0.0001) and "Clarity" (rS = - 0.463; p = 0.010). In conclusion, the application of a brief mindfulness-based intervention is promising in Brazilian university contexts; moreover, it can bring benefits to students, e.g., an increase in emotion regulation as well as in levels of mindfulness. We suggest that further research should use an experimental design and follow-up.

Sleep health assessment: A scale validation.

Sleep health is a new and important concept. Considering the need to expand the research on sleep from the health perspective, this research proposes to validate a Sleep Health Scale (SHS) for use with the Portuguese adult population. A sample of 540 community-dwelling adults aged 18-90 years old was included. The SHS scores ranged from 0 to 30 with a mean of 19.09 (SD ± 6.49). The distribution indicated that all socio demographic variables (age, gender, and literacy) influenced sleep health. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) demonstrated one factor for this measurement model with poor indices (Chi-square (df) = 55.02(9), p < 0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on the single factor and showed a well-adjusted model except for question 5 (Chi-square (df) = 11.443(4), p = 0.022; RMSEA = 0.084; CFI=0.99; GFI = 0.98; AGFI = 0.94), the convergent validity (AVE = 0.55) and reliability values (α = 0.85 /CR = 0.86) were good. In conclusion, the Sleep Health Scale (SHS) is valid and reliable for the assessment of the several sleep health indicators of Portuguese adults. An investigation on the relationship between sleep health and well-being in promoting quality of life with this scale is recommended for future research.

Effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness in senior students

Abstract Mindfulness-based interventions have been applied in diverse populations and achieved mental health benefits. This study examined the effects of a brief mindfulness program for emotional regulation and levels of mindfulness on senior students in Brazil. The intervention consisted of six weekly meetings attended by 30 participants. It is a pre-experimental research, with pre- and post-test comparative and correlation measurements. The preliminary results, which relied on parametrical and non-parametrical tests, revealed a reduction in total emotional regulation difficulties (p = 0.0001; r = - 0.55). Also, there was an increase in the levels of mindfulness in the subtests for both dimensions under evaluation: "Awareness" (p = 0.0001; d =0.77) and "Acceptance" (p = 0.048; d =0.37). By associating the amount of meditative practices performed by students with the variables, a significant positive correlation was found with the mindfulness dimension "Awareness" (rP = 0.422; p = 0.020), and there was a significant negative correlation with Difficulties in emotion regulation (rS = - 0.478; p = 0.008) and with its respective subscales "Non-acceptance" (rS = - 0.654; p = 0.0001) and "Clarity" (rS = - 0.463; p = 0.010). In conclusion, the application of a brief mindfulness-based intervention is promising in Brazilian university contexts; moreover, it can bring benefits to students, e.g., an increase in emotion regulation as well as in levels of mindfulness. We suggest that further research should use an experimental design and follow-up.