Abstract
Increases in university-based mental health problems require alternative mental health programs, applicable to students with elevated psychological risks due to personality traits. This study examined the cognitive-emotional outcomes of a university mindfulness meditation (MM) program and their relationship with Self-Criticism (SC), a personality factor linked to depressive vulnerability. University students (n = 71) were assessed at baseline with the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ), a measure of depressive personality traits, and two outcome measures: Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI). Students attending the MM program were reassessed for outcomes at 3 follow up assessments over 2 semesters. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed improved within-subjects effects with large or very large effect sizes for the subsample that completed the MM program (n = 18) on the POMS Tension-Anxiety, POMS Depression, POMS Fatigue, and Anxiety Sensitivity Index. Multiple linear regression using self-criticism as a predictor of change in depressed mood revealed that higher self-criticism predicted greater reductions in POMS Depression. This study provides evidence for MM-related cognitive-emotional benefits, suggesting that students with elevated self-critical traits may derive exceptional benefits evident in greater reductions of depressed mood.
Highlights
Increases in university-based mental health problems require alternative mental health programs, applicable to students with elevated psychological risks due to personality traits
Student distress is exacerbated by inadequate studentcounselor ratios (Lees & Davis, 2012), help-seeking barriers, and subclinical stress conditions, and mental health risk-elevating personality traits (Radhu, Daskalakis, Arpin-Cribbie, Irvine, & Ritvo, 2012) that can progress to diagnosable psychopathology if not preventively counteracted
Changes in the Profile of Mood States (POMS) subscales Tension-Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue, and overall Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) score were significant at Time 3 (Table 3), suggesting accumulated practice was associated with progressive, significant benefits
Summary
Increases in university-based mental health problems require alternative mental health programs, applicable to students with elevated psychological risks due to personality traits. The increasing rates and complexities of mental health disturbances have strained traditional university counseling resources (Lees & Davis, 2012), with cumulative data indicating a need for alternative mental health programs that would address the large numbers of students who fail to receive adequate support via traditional counselling. Such programs could respond to recent data showing students prefer dealing with stress-related issues autonomously (73.3%) and believe they lack sufficient time for counseling treatment (46.7%) (Downs & Eisenberg, 2012)
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