Mindfulness in a College Physiology Course
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Biology Course with Integrated Mindfulness.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Mindfulness, Stress, Well-being. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a College Human Physiology Course With Integrated Mindfulness Practice on Student Applied and Trait Mindfulness, Well-being, and Physiological Stress Reactivity (2026)
Overview
This proposed study aims to evaluate whether integrating mindfulness into an undergraduate biology course (Mindful Physiology) influences students' trait and applied mindfulness, well-being, and physiological stress reactivity. The primary questions are 1. Would completing the Mindful Physiology course increase applied mindfulness? 2. Would completing the class increase trait mindfulness? 3. Would completing the class increase subjective well-being? 4. Would completing the class reduce physiological stress response to an acute social stressor?
Detailed description
The proposed study aims to evaluate whether integrating mindfulness practice into an undergraduate biology course influences students' levels of applied mindfulness and stress regulation self-efficacy. A two-arm design will compare students who receive the intervention (a 10-week biology course with integrated mindfulness practice) with a control group of waitlisted students for the course, who will receive only university wellness resources. Participants all attempted to register for the course during a set course selection period at the college and were randomly registered or waitlisted by the College Registrar. Students registered and waitlisted for the course will be recruited for the study, and those who provide informed consent will be enrolled.
Data on trait mindfulness, applied mindfulness, and well-being will be collected at baseline and the conclusion of the intervention (\~10 weeks). Additionally, over weeks 8 and 9, participants will be invited for an in-person lab visit for a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) to assess their physiological response to an acute social stressor.
This study aims to examine whether integrating mindfulness practice into a ten-week undergraduate-level biology course will enhance trait and applied mindfulness, well-being, and stress regulation. We hypothesize that completing this ten-week course will (1) increase applied mindfulness, (2) increase trait mindfulness, (3) increase well-being, and (4) decrease physiological stress response to an acute social stressor.
For the primary outcomes, we will examine the between-group differences in changes in applied mindfulness, trait mindfulness, heart rate response to the TSST, and the WHO-5 Index, using linear regression models with change scores in each outcome as the dependent variable and the group status as the independent variable, adjusted for age and sex. We will report Cohen's d to estimate the effect sizes.
As exploratory analyses, we will examine the dose-response relationship between practice time (assessed with self-report practice time) and changes in primary and other outcomes over the term. Additionally, we will rerun the primary analysis by combining data from Spring 2026 with data from the cohort from the previous cycle (Spring 2025). Further, we will explore any between-group differences in changes in heart rate and heart rate variability during the TSST preparation and speaking task, separately, with linear regression models, adjusted for age and sex. All analyses will consider p-values \< 0.05 as statistically significant.
Interventions
- Behavioral Biology Course with Integrated Mindfulness
The intervention, Mindful Physiology, is an undergraduate-level biology course embedded with mindfulness practices. Over 10 weeks, students attend 19 110-minute sessions that combine didactic lectures, labs, and quizzes with \~20 minutes of mindfulness practice daily, in the tradition of Thích Nhất Hạnh's Plum Village Zen Buddhism. Students complete daily mindfulness logs (credited regardless of duration) and weekly reflections on course content or practice. Students are encouraged to practice f
Primary outcome measures
- Applied Mindfulness [Time frame: Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks)]
- Trait Mindfulness [Time frame: Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks)]
- Physiological Stress Response to an Acute Stressor [Time frame: Intervention completion (~8 and 9 weeks)]
- Well-Being [Time frame: Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Undergraduate students who selected Biology 3: Mindful Physiology during the 2026 Spring term course enrollment period.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Dartmouth College — Hanover
Publications
- Heyers K, Pfeifer LS, Merz CJ, Stockhorst U, Gunturkun O, Wolf OT, Ocklenburg S. TSST-OL: Comparison between online and laboratory application and effects on empathy. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2025 Jan;171:107211. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107211. Epub 2024 Oct 11. PMID 39442231
- Schou Andreassen C, Billieux J, Griffiths MD, Kuss DJ, Demetrovics Z, Mazzoni E, Pallesen S. The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychol Addict Behav. 2016 Mar;30(2):252-62. doi: 10.1037/adb0000160. PMID 26999354
- Stress and Quality of Life Among University Students: A Systematic Literature Review. Health Professions Education,
- US Preventive Services Task Force; Curry SJ, Krist AH, Owens DK, Barry MJ, Caughey AB, Davidson KW, Doubeni CA, Epling JW Jr, Kemper AR, Kubik M, Landefeld CS, Mangione CM, Silverstein M, Simon MA, Tseng CW, Wong JB. Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2018 Nov PMID 30422199
- VanderWeele TJ. On the promotion of human flourishing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Aug 1;114(31):8148-8156. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1702996114. Epub 2017 Jul 13. PMID 28705870
- Zhang Z, Luu BCP, Gilbert-Diamond D. Acceptability, engagement, and preliminary efficacy of a college human physiology course with integrated mindfulness practice to support student wellbeing. Front Psychol. 2024 Aug 14;15:1365778. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1365778. eCollection 2024. PMID 39205975
- Wunsch K, Fiedler J, Bachert P, Woll A. The Tridirectional Relationship among Physical Activity, Stress, and Academic Performance in University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 16;18(2):739. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020739. PMID 33467118
- Sawatzky RG, Ratner PA, Richardson CG, Washburn C, Sudmant W, Mirwaldt P. Stress and depression in students: the mediating role of stress management self-efficacy. Nurs Res. 2012 Jan-Feb;61(1):13-21. doi: 10.1097/NNR.0b013e31823b1440. PMID 22166906
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06423053 · STUDY00032944