A randomized control study of brief mindfulness with undergraduates on self-compassion, mindfulness, and thought suppression

The purpose of the study was to confirm the extent to which self-compassion and mindfulness can be increased and thought suppression decreased in a sample of undergraduates with an innovative brief form of mindfulness. The intervention was comprised of both instructive and applied exercises that were manualized in a protocol.;The treatment was manipulated and self-compassion, mindfulness, and thought-suppression were assessed. A no treatment waiting list control group was used. Participants were randomly assigned to two conditions and the assignment of treatment condition to groups was done randomly.;The no treatment waiting list control group participants were provided the brief mindfulness intervention after the primary experimental comparison was completed. The sample size consisted of 25 undergraduates. A demographic questionnaire was used to assess personal characteristics. Self-compassion was assessed with the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), mindfulness with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and thought suppression with the White Bear Thought Suppression Inventory (WBSI). Adherences to practices were measured with short online diaries.;The results indicated that self-compassion and mindfulness significantly increased following the brief mindfulness intervention for the treatment group compared to the control group. There was no significant difference between the groups in thought suppression. This study demonstrates that a brief mindfulness intervention may be a viable option for increasing undergraduates' well-being. A brief intervention requires less financial and time resources then typical stress reduction programs and is potentially more agreeable to undergraduate students' schedules. This study represents early research using the brief mindfulness intervention and further research is warranted.