Evaluating a mindfulness intervention for improving sleep and mental health in university students
| dc.contributor.advisor | Lipinska, Malgorzata | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Henry, Michelle | |
| dc.contributor.author | Oldjohn, Theophilus | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-09-19T12:34:28Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-09-19T12:34:28Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2025-09-19T07:36:06Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Mental health, including depression and anxiety, difficulties are one of the biggest challenges that university students face. These difficulties have an impact on other aspects of functioning such as sleep quality and quantity. However, studies show a bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health challenges, hence continous poor sleep may lead to increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness has been recognised as an accessable treatments used to improve sleep and reduce mental health problems. The objective of this study was to evaluate mindfulness as an intervention for poor sleep, and subsequent mental health challenges in university students. The participants were divided into two groups, an intervention group (n = 20) that received mindfulness training and a control group (n = 18) that did not. The treatment intervention consisted of a daily 20- minute audio guided exercise which was completed over a 7-day period. I measured sleep quality, depressive and anxiety-related symptoms, and academic performance before and after the intervention/control period. Results showed no improvement in sleep quality and anxiety- related symptoms between the intervention and control groups. However, there was a decrease in depressive symptoms in participants who completed the mindfulness intervention. These findings highlight the positive influence of mindfulness on depressive symptoms in university students. However, future studies should further investigate the associations between mindfulness, sleep quality and mental health outcomes in students, who are vulnerable to a high burden of mental health difficulties. | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Oldjohn, T. (2025). <i>Evaluating a mindfulness intervention for improving sleep and mental health in university students</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41896 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Oldjohn, Theophilus. <i>"Evaluating a mindfulness intervention for improving sleep and mental health in university students."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41896 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Oldjohn, T. 2025. Evaluating a mindfulness intervention for improving sleep and mental health in university students. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41896 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Oldjohn, Theophilus AB - Mental health, including depression and anxiety, difficulties are one of the biggest challenges that university students face. These difficulties have an impact on other aspects of functioning such as sleep quality and quantity. However, studies show a bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health challenges, hence continous poor sleep may lead to increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness has been recognised as an accessable treatments used to improve sleep and reduce mental health problems. The objective of this study was to evaluate mindfulness as an intervention for poor sleep, and subsequent mental health challenges in university students. The participants were divided into two groups, an intervention group (n = 20) that received mindfulness training and a control group (n = 18) that did not. The treatment intervention consisted of a daily 20- minute audio guided exercise which was completed over a 7-day period. I measured sleep quality, depressive and anxiety-related symptoms, and academic performance before and after the intervention/control period. Results showed no improvement in sleep quality and anxiety- related symptoms between the intervention and control groups. However, there was a decrease in depressive symptoms in participants who completed the mindfulness intervention. These findings highlight the positive influence of mindfulness on depressive symptoms in university students. However, future studies should further investigate the associations between mindfulness, sleep quality and mental health outcomes in students, who are vulnerable to a high burden of mental health difficulties. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Mental Health KW - University students KW - Poor sleep KW - Mindful intervention LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - Evaluating a mindfulness intervention for improving sleep and mental health in university students TI - Evaluating a mindfulness intervention for improving sleep and mental health in university students UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41896 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41896 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Oldjohn T. Evaluating a mindfulness intervention for improving sleep and mental health in university students. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41896 | en_ZA |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.language.rfc3066 | eng | |
| dc.publisher.department | Department of Psychology | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Faculty of Humanities | |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Cape Town | |
| dc.subject | Mental Health | |
| dc.subject | University students | |
| dc.subject | Poor sleep | |
| dc.subject | Mindful intervention | |
| dc.title | Evaluating a mindfulness intervention for improving sleep and mental health in university students | |
| dc.type | Thesis / Dissertation | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters |