Examining Mental Health Benefits of a Brief Online Mindfulness Intervention: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract Objectives The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a brief online mindfulness intervention in reducing depression, rumination, and trait anxiety among university students. Method The sample consisted of 486 participants including 205 (42%) in the experimental group and 281 (58%) in the control group. For a period of 28 days, participants in the experimental group engaged in daily mindfulness meditation during their free time. Additionally, they practised mindfulness meditation once a week during regular class hours. The control group was involved in regular class activities without practising mindfulness. The outcomes were assessed at pre- and post-intervention using well-validated measures of mindfulness, depression, rumination, and trait anxiety. The data were analysed using mixed-model ANCOVA while controlling for baseline mindfulness levels as co-variates. Results Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of a brief online mindfulness intervention in reducing depression, rumination, and trait anxiety of university students. Moreover, higher baseline mindfulness levels predicted better effectiveness of the brief online mindfulness intervention at an individual level and were inversely linked to depression, trait anxiety, and rumination. Conclusions This study conclusively demonstrated that a brief online mindfulness intervention significantly reduces depression, rumination, and trait anxiety among university students, with reductions observed in specific measures of these conditions, highlighting the role of initial mindfulness levels in moderating outcomes. These findings underscore the effectiveness of brief online mindfulness programs in mitigating mental health issues in a university setting and the importance of baseline psychological states in intervention outcomes. Preregistration This study is not preregistered