Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Different Facets of Mental Wellbeing, Attentional Networks and Cognition among Young Adults

ABSTRACT Introduction: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been effective at improving psychological well-being and in reducing symptoms of stress. Research has found that mindfulness meditation training can promote awareness and cognitive function however less is known about beneficial effects on mental wellbeing and attention. This study assessed the positive effects of Integral Meditation (IM), a technique developed at the University of Pavia, on several mental wellbeing domains and investigated the link between mental wellbeing, mindfulness and increased performance in attentional networks. Aim: This project aimed to assess the efficacy of an accessible and easy-to-learn MBI, with young adults to improve their mental well-being, increase mindfulness, and attention and promote more functional states. We assessed the changes that the intervention had on other psychological constructs such as mindfulness and self-compassion. The associations between the changes were explored. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that our intervention: i) increased mental-well being ii) increased attention efficiency iii) increased trait mindfulness and self-compassion iv) reduced mind-wandering v) increased performance in attentional networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control. With further investigations of the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and attentional networks. Methods: Participants (Control = 20, Intervention = 25) were recruited from the University of Pavia, Italy, for a randomized pre–post experimental study. They were assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. Assessments took place at two timepoints and included seven self-report measures as well as a laboratory task, the Attention Network Test (ANT). The MBI consisted of 10 weekly, in-person, one-hour IM classes. The intervention group participated in these classes, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Results: Exploratory analysis showed that the intervention's effect varied across different levels of baseline scores of mindfulness. Correlation analysis indicates several bidirectional associations between dispositional mindfulness, and attention. Linear mixed models indicated beneficial effects of the intervention for the β time*group interaction for mental wellbeing, mindfulness, self-compassion and their subdomains. The intervention group showed greater efficiency in the functioning of sub-systems of attention associated with increased performance in the attentional networks of alerting, and executive control. Conclusion: This study on IM among healthy young adults demonstrated beneficial improvements in mental well-being, as measured by a novel algorithm, the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ). Increasing trend in the scores from pre- to post- intervention provides evidence on enhancement of attentional networks via mindfulness interventions. Future studies on IM should explore attention and cognitive function with a larger sample to fully explore effect size and cognitive performance.