Use of Meditation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for the Treatment of Stress, Depression and Anxiety in Students. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to analyze the effects of cognitive-behavioral programs and meditation strategies on stress, anxiety, and depression in students and identify determinants of treatment success.
Results Summary
The meta-analysis found average effect sizes of -0.41 for stress, -0.37 for anxiety, and -0.30 for depression, indicating moderate reductions in these symptoms. Significant correlations were found for the type of treatment relating to stress.
Population
Students facing high academic demands and learning difficulties.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cognitive-behavioral programs | decrease | stress | students | -0.41 | produced an effect | #1 |
cognitive-behavioral programs | decrease | anxiety | students | -0.37 | produced an effect | #2 |
cognitive-behavioral programs | decrease | depression | students | -0.30 | produced an effect | #3 |
meditation strategies | decrease | stress | students | -0.41 | produced an effect | #4 |
meditation strategies | decrease | anxiety | students | -0.37 | produced an effect | #5 |
meditation strategies | decrease | depression | students | -0.30 | produced an effect | #6 |
The prevalence of mental health problems within students due to high academic demands and learning difficulties is a current challenge the field of education. The aim of this study is to review the scientific literature in order to analyze the effect produced by cognitive-behavioral programs and meditation strategies on stress, anxiety, and depression in students. A further aim is to identify the determinants of treatment success. The bibliographic search was carried out using Web of Science, specifically in the categories of "Education and Educational Research" and "Psychology", obtaining a sample of 122 articles published between 2007 and 2018. Studies were included which had a pre-experimental or quasi-experimental design and included pre-test and post-test phases. Following application of inclusion criteria, 34 articles were selected for inclusion in a meta-analysis of the random effects of each variable. This obtained an average effect size of -0.41 for stress, -0.37 for anxiety, and -0.30 for depression. Three moderating variables were analyzed, with significant correlations being found for the type of treatment relating to stress (Q = 11.01, df = 2,