The effectiveness of mindfulness based thriving program on level of mindfulness and thriving

Abstract

Objective: This experimental research examined the effects of the Mindfulness-Based Thriving Program (MTP) on university students’ mindfulness and thriving levels. Method: The study was conducted with randomly assigned 19 female students attending to a public university in Turkey. The inclusion criteria were to have low scores on Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale and Thriving Scale in pre-test assessment. Experimental group (n=10) received a 6-session MTP intervention developed by the first researcher while control group (n=9) received no intervention. To determine the immediate and long-term effects of the MTP, all participants completed post-tests two months after the program. Data were analyzed by using two-way ANOVA test. To determine the significant differences between subgroups, the Tukey (HSD) test was performed. Results: Post-test and follow-up results of experimental group for MAAS and Thriving Scale were found to be higher than their pre-test results, while there were no statistically significant changes in results of control group. Results revealed that six-session MTP for university students was significantly effective in increasing mindfulness and thriving levels. Discussion: Research results highlight the potential contribution of eclectic mindfulness practices during adolescence. Although, there are many studies supporting the positive effect of mindfulness-based interventions on students, empirical evidence about MTP’s effect on thriving is very scarce. In this respect, this study is expected to contribute the current literature by examining the MTP’s effect on mindfulness and thriving.