Common humanity in the classroom: Increasing self-compassion and coping self-efficacy through a mindfulness-based intervention

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a classroom-based mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in improving stress, coping, and psychological well-being in college students. Participants: Sixty-one students at a small liberal arts college. Methods: As part of a college course, students in the MBI condition (N = 33) completed mindfulness meditations, reflective journaling, and participated in group discussions over the course of eight weeks. A control group of students (N = 28) received traditional instruction about stress and coping as part of a concurrently taught college course. Perceived stress, mental health, mindfulness, self-compassion, and coping self-efficacy were measured before and after the intervention and instruction. Results: Significant improvements in self-compassion and coping self-efficacy emerged, particularly in the domains of common humanity, isolation, and emotion-focused coping self-efficacy. Conclusions: These findings suggest that incorporation of MBIs into the classroom can be an effective strategy to enhance the well-being of college students.