An Effectiveness Study of a Digital Mindfulness-Based Program for Upper Secondary Education Students

• Published in: Mindfulness Vol. 11; no. 11; pp. 2494 - 2505
• Main Authors: Lahtinen, Oskari, Salmivalli, Christina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.11.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anxiety; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child and School Psychology; Children & youth; Cognitive Psychology; Education; Effectiveness studies; Electronic mail systems; Health surveys; Meditation; Mental depression; Mental health; Mindfulness; Original Paper; Pediatrics; Psychology; Public Health; Quality of life; Questionnaires; School boards; Secondary education; Smartphones; Social Sciences; Stress; Students; Teenagers; Finland; Digital; Depression; Anxiety; Mindfulness; Mindfulness-based program (MBP)
• ISSN: 1868-8527; 1868-8535
• DOI: 10.1007/s12671-020-01462-y

Objectives Mindfulness-based programs/interventions (MBPs) are emerging as treatments for anxiety and stress for adults and adolescents. MBPs can also be helpful as universal interventions for healthy subjects. Few studies have looked at how beneficial MBP effects transfer to digital MBPs. Methods The study was a randomized controlled trial with 1349 participants aged mostly 16–19. We compared a digital MBP vs. a waitlist condition. Online questionnaire data were collected pre-program, post-program, and at 3-month follow-up. Results Completing the MBP resulted in a small-to-moderate reduction in anxiety ( F 1,681  = 13.71, p  < .01, d  = .26), a small reduction in depression ( F 1,686  = 8.54, p  < .01, d  = .15), and a small increase in psychological quality of life ( F 1,708  = 3.94, p  = .05, d  = .16). Attrition rate for the MBP was 41.5%. Conclusions The results suggest that digital MBPs can be successful in delivering at least some of the benefits characteristic of face-to-face MBPs.