Development and effectiveness of an online mindfulness program for university students

The purpose of this study is to develop and test the effectiveness of an online mindfulness program for university students. In this study, after preliminary research, the final program was developed through expert verification and consultation, and participant feedback. The quantitative study was conducted on university students in G City, and 29 people in the experimental group and 27 people in the control group participated in the study. Qualitative research was conducted through sessional impressions from university students who participated in the online mindfulness program and interviews with nine program participants who agreed to the request for a focus group interview. The collected data were analyzed using Giorgi's phenomenological analysis method. As a result of the study, compared to university students who participated in the online mindfulness program, ‘depression’ and ‘state anxiety’ were significantly lower, and ‘mindfulness attention awareness’ and ‘psychological well-being’ were significantly increased compared to college students who did not participate. As a result of the qualitative study, it was found that the participants experienced a change process of ‘awareness and self-understanding’, ‘contemplative gaze’, and ‘transformation of perception’. The significance of this study is that it suggests the possibility of applying a mindfulness program online and explores the change process. It is hoped that the results of this study will lead to the development of an online psychotherapy program for university students and a plan to improve university students' mental health.