Efficacy of an online attachment priming and mindfulness practice intervention for insomnia, stress, and emotion regulation in university students: A randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

Despite the availability of student well-being services, university students remain highly susceptible to mental health challenges. Recent research highlights the potential of mindfulness-based interventions and attachment security priming in enhancing psychological well-being. This study compared the immediate and sustained effects of digitally delivered attachment priming and mindfulness-based practices on student mental health over one week. Using a randomized controlled design, 122 UK undergraduate students were assigned to one of three groups: repeated attachment security priming, mindfulness practice, or a waitlist control. Participants completed baseline assessments of stress, insomnia, attachment anxiety, emotion regulation, and mindfulness. The intervention groups engaged in five consecutive days of digital practice, and all participants completed follow-up assessments immediately after (T2), one week later (T3), and four weeks later (T4). Compared with the control group, both intervention groups showed significant long-term improvements in stress, insomnia, emotion regulation, and academic dropout intention. Attachment priming produced the most consistent and substantial benefits across time points. Each intervention also resulted in specific gains in mindfulness and attachment-related outcomes. These findings support the integration of digital attachment priming and mindfulness-based programs as promising supplements or alternatives to traditional university mental health services, especially when timely, accessible support is lacking.