What is the Science and Research on Mindfulness-Based College for Young Adults (MB-College)?

In recent years, researchers have proposed the existence of a unique phase of life called emerging adulthood, occurring between the ages of 18 and 29. This stage is distinct from both adolescence and young adulthood, characterized by its own set of challenges, experiences, and developmental milestones (Arnett, 2015). Developed by Dr. Eric Loucks, Mindfulness-Based College (MB-College) is based on the manualized and standardized Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) curriculum developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. It is designed to teach emerging adults how to integrate and apply mindfulness in their everyday lives. MB-College builds a foundation of mindfulness skills and attitudes (e.g. attentional control, self-awareness, Attitudinal Foundations) through the MBSR curriculum (Kabat-Zinn, 2013), and then directs participants’ attention toward their relationship with a number of health-related factors relevant in emerging adulthood, including physical activity, diet, sleep, stress, identity, social relationships, substance use, and their impact on health, mortality, and academic/work transition and success (Arnett, 2015; Lasgaard et al., 2016; Qualter et al., 2015; “Substance Abuse,” 2018; Loucks et al., 2021).

Randomized controlled trials have shown that mindfulness programs delivered to emerging adults significantly improve depressive and anxiety symptoms (Bamber & Schneider, 2016; O'Driscoll et al., 2017). Additionally, participants who specifically completed the MB-College program reported reductions in perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms compared to a control group. MB-College also led to improvements in mindfulness, self-compassion, and positive engagement in chosen health behaviors (Loucks et al., 2021). Given that overwhelming stress and increasing mental health issues appear to be a prevalent concern among individuals aged 18 to 34, as evidenced by recent studies from the American Psychological Association (2022), the need for effective interventions like MB-College is becoming even more crucial for this demographic. By acknowledging the challenges faced by emerging adults and offering evidence-based solutions, tools, and resources, MB-College can foster their growth and resilience.

Sources Cited

1. American Psychological Association (2022). Stress in America. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/concerned-future-inflation
2. Arnett, J. J. (2015). Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
3. Bamber, M. D., & Schneider, J. K. (2016). Mindfulness-based meditation to decrease stress and anxiety in college students: A narrative synthesis of the research. Educational Research Review, 18: 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.12.004
4. Lasgaard, M., Friis, K., & Shevlin, M. (2016). "Where are all the lonely people?" A population-based study of high-risk groups across the life span. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 51(10): 1373-1384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1279-3
5. Loucks, E. B., Nardi, W. R., Gutman, R., Saadeh, F. B., Li, Y., et al. (2021). Mindfulness-Based College: A Stage 1 Randomized Controlled Trial for University Student Well-Being. Psychosom Med, 83(6): 602–614. https://doi.org/10.1097%2FPSY.0000000000000860
6. O'Driscoll, M., Byrne, S., McGillicuddy, A., Lambert, S., & Sahm, L. J. (2017). The effects of mindfulness-based interventions for health and social care undergraduate students - a systematic review of the literature. Psychol Health Med, 22(7): 851-865. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2017.1280178
7. Qualter, P., Vanhalst, J., Harris, R., Van Roekel, E., Lodder, G., et al. (2015). Loneliness across the life span. Perspect Psychol Sci, 10(2): 250-264. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615568999
8. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2018). Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsq-reports/NSDUHDetailedTabs2017/NSDUHDetailedTabs2017.pdf

What are the Learning Objectives and Outcomes of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)?

• Discuss what mindfulness is and is not from a theory- and evidence-based perspective
• Discuss the history of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
• Discuss the Attitudinal Foundations of mindfulness practice
• Discuss the benefits of mindfulness and MBSR substantiated by empirical research
• Discuss the purpose of the stress response, including its usefulness
• Discuss the difference between an active acceptance of distress and an emotional resignation
• Discuss how thoughts and core beliefs dictate the unconscious stress reactivity
• Explain how cognitive distortions or conditioned ways of thinking may foster the habit of stress reactivity
• Explain how reactivity to stress can impair mental, emotional and physical wellbeing
• Explain how mindfulness can alter the automatic feedback loop to facilitate self-management of stress reactivity from an evidence-based perspective
• Utilize mindfulness to build awareness of one’s own stress responses, including recognizing habitual patterns of reactivity to stressors
• Utilize mindfulness to develop alternative responses to stress
• Utilize mindfulness practices to promote greater mental flexibility
• Explain how mindfulness strengthens purposeful attention
• Explain how mindfulness promotes emotional regulation
• Practice and employ the body scan meditation, bringing attention and awareness to how the body can hold stress
• Employ and practice the focused attention meditation as a tool for developing less reactivity and less negativity
• Employ and practice the mindful movement (yoga) meditation, experiencing the potential of the body’s strengths and flexibility, and developing awareness of what it means to care for one’s own body
• Employ and practice informal mindfulness practices that are useful in daily life, workplace, social environments, and in communications
• Identify when formal meditations may be used to support overall wellbeing
• Identify when informal mindfulness practices may be used to support overall wellbeing
• Utilize mindfulness to identify typical bodily sensations that arise when the stress response is activated
• Utilize mindfulness to identify, feel, explore and tolerate unpleasant, unwanted, and contradictory emotions
• Apply mindfulness to cultivate a greater sense of present-moment awareness
• Apply mindfulness to cultivate a deeper connection with the body
• Apply mindfulness to cultivate a deeper connection with emotions
• Apply mindfulness to cultivate a deeper connection in relationship to others
• Utilize mindfulness to enhance interpersonal relationships
• Utilize mindfulness to enhance effective communication