PROJETO PILOTO – PROGRAMA DE 8 SEMANAS DE MINDFULNESS PARA UNIVERSITÁRIOS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Mindfulness practice applied in an 8-week program in university students. METHODS: An intervention study was carried out, with a convenience sample and voluntary participation of students, enrolled for an 8-week program of Mindfulness practices. The following questionnaires were used: sociodemographic profile; perception of self-satisfaction; Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-BR), both in an adapted and validated version for Brazilian Portuguese. The questionnaires were completed anonymously at the beginning and end of the program. RESULTS: The participants were 58 university students from the psychology course, between the 1st and 10th semesters, aged between 18 and 60 years. To minimally evaluate the pilot project, it was necessary for each participant to attend at least 5 meetings. Those that did not reach this minimum participation were not considered in the final comparative results. Finally, 16 participants were included in the study analyses. The mean was used to compare the initial and final results of the questionnaires. The comparisons showed a reduction in the severity levels of the symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as an improvement in the majority of the Mindfulness scores obtained in the facets. CONCLUSION: The application of the 8-week Mindfulness program to university students led to suggested benefits, such as a probable reduction in scores obtained in the assessment of symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, improvement in general mindfulness and self-perception, and greater satisfaction with life itself.