Empirical evidence suggested that mind-body interventions can be effectively delivered online. This study aimed to examine whether preventive online mindfulness interventions (POMI) for non-clinical populations improve short- and long-term outcomes for perceived-stress (primary) and mindfulness (secondary). Systematic search of four electronic databases, manuscript reference lists, and journal content lists was conducted in 2016, using 21 search-terms. Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating effects of POMI in non-clinical populations with adequately reported perceived-stress and mindfulness measures pre- and post-intervention were included. Random-effects models utilized for all effect-size estimations with meta-regression performed for mean age and %females. Participants were volunteers (adults; predominantly female) from academic, workplace, or community settings. Most interventions utilized simplified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction protocols over 2–12 week periods. Post-intervention, significant medium effect found for perceived-stress (g = 0.432), with moderate heterogeneity and significant, but small, effect size for mindfulness (g = 0.275) with low heterogeneity; highest effects were for middle-aged individuals. At follow-up, significant large effect found for perceived-stress (g = 0.699) with low heterogeneity and significant medium effect (g = 0.466) for mindfulness with high heterogeneity. No publication bias was found for perceived-stress; publication bias found for mindfulness outcomes led to underestimation of effects, not overestimation. Number of eligible RCTs was low with inadequate data reporting in some studies. POMI had substantial stress reduction effects and some mindfulness improvement effects. POMI can be a more convenient and cost-effective strategy, compared to traditional face-to-face interventions, especially in the context of busy, hard-to-reach, but digitally-accessible populations.

The purpose of this study was to identify adolescents’ consequence, referent, and circumstance beliefs about trying to meditate at least twice in the next week in order to inform subsequent meditation intervention design. A survey based on reasoned action approach (RAA) constructs was developed and pilot-tested. Thereafter, adolescents ( N = 129), recruited from a northeastern U.S. high school, responded to open-ended survey questions eliciting beliefs underlying intention to try meditating. Thematic analysis was executed to examine beliefs and frequencies of beliefs. Five types of salient meditation beliefs were identified: advantages (e.g., reduces stress, increases relaxation, improves focus), disadvantages (e.g., slows everything down), supporters and disapprovers (e.g., family and friends), and facilitating circumstances (e.g., more time, fewer distractions). Adolescents recognize meditation as having health benefits but as also taking time. They further viewed meditation as socially acceptable but need sufficient time and a conducive environment to try it. To be effective, interventions designed to promote adolescents’ self-regulation through meditation should address identified salient beliefs.

While the relative increase of MBT integration by school-based TCS is commendable and further encouraged, school mental health practitioners should account for the differential effects of family-level factors on TCS-choice and MBT-use.

This study’s purpose was to determine if adolescents’ attitudes, perceived norm, and self-efficacyregarding meditation were associated with intentions to try meditating.A convenience sample of highschool students (N=115) reported on their intentions, attitudes, perceived norms, and self-efficacy regard-ing meditation. Multiple regression was used to determine if attitudes, perceived norm, and meditationself-efficacy were associated with intentions to meditate. Attitude and perceived norm were significantlyassociated (p<.001) with intentions to meditate;self-efficacy was not. In order to promote adolescents’intentions to meditate, a focus on their attitudes towards meditation and perceptions of their peers medi-tating appear to be important.

Meditation has been shown to be a character and virtue formation tool due to its emotion regulation capabilities. Training academies can help their students better develop their character by enabling meditation behavior acquisition. This study examines United States Military cadets’ beliefs about meditation as a means of informing education and intervention programming to maximize the likelihood of cadets adopting the behavior. Implications and suggestions for character education programs are provided.