Differential Effect of Level of Self-Regulation and Mindfulness Training on Coping Strategies Used by University Students

Jesús de la Fuente; Israel Mañas; Clemente Franco; Adolfo J Cangas; Encarnación Soriano

doi:10.3390/ijerph15102230

Differential Effect of Level of Self-Regulation and Mindfulness Training on Coping Strategies Used by University Students

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Oct 11;15(10):2230. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15102230.

Authors

Jesús de la Fuente^{1

2}, Israel Mañas^{3

4}, Clemente Franco⁵, Adolfo J Cangas⁶, Encarnación Soriano⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Education and Psychology, University of Navarra, Campus Universitario s/n. 31009 Pamplona, Spain. jdlfuente@unav.es.
² School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Avenida Pedro de Valdivia, 425, Providencia, Santiago de Chile, Chile. jdlfuente@unav.es.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Cañada de San Urbano s/n. 04120 Almería, Spain. imanas@ual.es.
⁴ Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Rambla del Poblenou, 156, 08018 Barcelona, Spain. imanas@ual.es.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Cañada de San Urbano s/n. 04120 Almería, Spain. cfranco@ual.es.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Cañada de San Urbano s/n. 04120 Almería, Spain. ajcangas@ual.es.
⁷ Department of Education, University of Almería, Cañada de San Urbano s/n. 04120 Almería, Spain. esoriano@ual.es.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to verify, in a group of psychology students, whether mindfulness training in conjunction with the individual's level of self-regulation behavior would produce a change in the use of coping strategies. A total of 38 students participated in this study, with one experimental group and one control group, in a randomized controlled trial. Observation of the experimental group revealed a significant decrease in specific emotion-focused, negative coping strategies (preparing for the worst, resigned acceptance, emotional venting, and isolation), and a significant increase in specific problem-focused, positive coping (positive reappraisal and firmness, self-talk, help for action), in combination with students' existing low-medium-high level of self-regulation. The importance and usefulness of mindfulness techniques in Higher Education is discussed, in conjunction with differences in university students' level of self-regulation behavior.

Keywords: coping strategies; higher education; mindfulness; self-regulation; students.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Psychological*
Adolescent
Adult
Emotions
Female
Humans
Male
Mindfulness*
Self-Control*
Stress, Psychological / psychology*
Students / psychology*
Universities
Young Adult