The Effect of Mindfulness on Academic Self-Efficacy: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

This study examined the effect of a brief mindfulness intervention on academic self-efficacy. Twenty-six university students were randomized to a four-day brief mindfulness intervention or a wait-listed control condition. The brief mindfulness intervention took the form of four 30 minute sessions of mindfulness meditation over four consecutive days. Measures of mindfulness, emotional wellbeing, and academic self-efficacy were obtained via a self-report survey prior to the intervention, post-intervention and at a one-month follow-up. Both groups had comparable baseline measures on all three scales. Data analysis revealed that both academic self-efficacy and mindfulness increased between pre- and post-intervention with a medium effect size (d = 0.472 and 0.415 respectively). Emotional wellbeing significantly increased following the intervention with a large effect size (d = 0.652) and remained at this level after one month. Academic self-efficacy also stayed at elevated post-intervention levels after one month while mindfulness continued to increase following the intervention and was significantly higher at follow-up than at baseline (d = 0.564). There were no significant changes in the measured variables for the control group. Regression analysis revealed that increases in emotional wellbeing significantly predicted increases in academic self-efficacy for participants in the experimental group, both increases in mindfulness and emotional wellbeing were significantly correlated with increases in academic self-efficacy. These findings suggest that a brief mindfulness intervention is an effective and practical means to improve academic self-efficacy and emotional wellbeing in university students. Implications, limitations and future directions for research are discussed.

Psychological distress and academic self-efficacy of nursing undergraduates under the normalization of COVID-19: multiple mediating roles of social support and mindfulness

“…In addition, we found that social support can also help people get rid of anxiety and depression by actively raising the level of mindfulness. Mindfulness helps them focus on the present and adjust their state to adapt to the current learning and life, promotes students to generate more academic self-efficacy, and improves learning enthusiasm and academic performance [ 57 , 59 , 60 ].…”

Acceptance Mindfulness-Trait as a Protective Factor for Post-Natal Depression: A Preliminary Research

“…It is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to suggest processes that the limited existing literature on acceptance has already shown. Acceptance could first allow access to the feeling of self-efficacy [66] for dealing with the changes that a pregnancy implies. Given the relationship between flexibility and mindfulness for emotion regulation [67], acceptance could further foster flexibility and this would help women to cope with the singular time of the pregnancy and the stressful situation of delivery.…”

“…The postpartum period appears to be a high-risk time for the development of OCD symptoms [76]. Although the overlap between OCD and depression is still a matter of debate, both in terms of the mechanisms involved and the risk factors [77], obsessive-compulsive personality disorder symptoms could be a risk factor for postpartum depressive symptoms [66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78]. If additional data reinforce this hypothesis, it suggests that an assessment of OCD or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder may be useful for screening pregnant women for PND risk.…”

Mindfulness and Academic Performance: A Literature Review

“…Furthermore, Xu et al (2022) showed strong evidence that virtual mindfulness therapies can immediately improve academic performance. Menges and Caltabiano (2019), on the other hand, wanted to look into how mindfulness interventions affect academic self-efficacy.…”