Mindfulness to improve the mental health of university students. A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the effects of a mindfulness program on mental health in university students.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL. The selected studies had to incorporate a mindfulness intervention in university students. The methodological quality of the collected articles was evaluated using the PEDro scale.

Results: We initially identified 321 studies, of which 21 were included in this review. The interventions focused on mindfulness with durations ranging from 8 weeks to 3 months. The results demonstrated significant effects of a mindfulness intervention on mental health in university students.

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis found that mindfulness is effective for improving the mental health of college students.

Systematic review registration: identifier: CRD42023441453.

Keywords: mental health; meta-analysis; mindfulness; systematic review; university students.