The Effect of Short-Term Mindfulness Training on the Emotional State of College Students with Different Levels of Mindfulness: Evidence from Neurophysiological Signals

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the effects of short-term mindfulness training on the emotional state of individuals with different levels of mindfulness, especially from the perspective of autonomic neurophysiological mechanism. Methods: 52 college students were divided into higher or lower dispositional mindfulness groups. Then they underwent the measurement periods of baseline, short-term mindfulness training and recovery. During these periods, wrist-worn wearable devices were used for recording their autonomic nervous system activities, including heart rate (HR), galvanic skin response (GSR) and pulse rate variability (PRV). The Positive and Negative affect Scale (PANAS) and the State Anxiety Inventory (S-AI) were used before and after the experiment. Results: The results showed that in both groups, instead of positive emotion, negative emotions and state anxiety reduced significantly after the training. In terms of physiological signals, in lower-dispositional group, the HR of the recovery period were significantly lower than that of the other two periods, and the PRV of the recovery period were significantly higher. In higher-dispositional group, the GSR of recovery period was significantly higher than that of the other two periods. Conclusions: The results suggest that short-term mindfulness training works mainly by reducing negative emotions rather than increasing positive ones. Our findings also provide neurophysiological evidence for a better emotional intervention effect of short-term mindfulness training on individuals with lower dispositional mindfulness.

Effects of Online Mindful Somatic Psychoeducation Program on Mental Health During the COVID-19

“…[51][52][53] The participants embodied psychological soma, experiencing psychological stability and comfort that facilitated easy and unhindered self-reflection, thanks to reduced lethargy, depression, tension, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, it is in accordance with studies that have reported that mindfulness reduces negative emotions 52,54 and alleviates physical symptoms induced by anxiety, depression, and stress. 55 The participants also felt a sense of affiliation.…”

Automatic detection of the mental state in responses towards relaxation

“…This application is the most evident one and is none other than assessing how good relaxation or sophrology techniques are performing for the specific person treated with them. For instance, the study conducted in [ 44 ] showed that using mindfulness techniques (mindfulness breathing and body scanning practice) had a positive impact on a sample of 52 college students. More precisely, they confirmed that whereas mindfulness did not affect positive emotions, it affected negative emotions by making them reduce (other studies pose the same theory, e.g., [ 45 ]).…”

“…Besides, the researchers of [ 44 ] also concluded that the benefits of short-term mindfulness training depended on the disposition towards using these techniques. In this sense, as the signals collected in this study are almost the same as in [ 44 ], the classification tool proposed in this work could be useful for assessing how good did the chosen techniques perform for each participant of the study. This application poses as a powerful tool not only for researching but also for daily use for psychologists and other professionals of sophrology.…”