Abstract

This study investigated the effects of an undergraduate course offering a mindfulness skill development curriculum. The students’ self-assessments at the beginning and end of the semester focused on perceived stress, mindful awareness, resilience, procrastination, self-compassion, and sleep quality. One-hundred and four young adults enrolled at a large midwestern four-year university (n = 76 experimental group, n = 28 comparison group) participated in a three-credit hour undergraduate course in which they were assessed twice on the dependent variables. Fourteen weeks of participating in the mindfulness skill course resulted in significant reductions in perceived stress levels and procrastination and increases in self-compassion, mindful awareness, and sleep quality. There were no significant differences found in the results when accounting for whether the course was completed online (n = 53) or in a traditional classroom format (n = 23), with the exception of the procrastination and self-compassion scores, which was not significantly changed for the students enrolled in the online format. Offering an effective skill development curriculum to students that in turn supports multiple dimensions of their health and well-being is an increasingly critical aspect of student support. The results also suggest some valuable insight toward the future development of higher education models to support a healthier emerging adult population that can thrive in college and is better prepared for life after college.