Cultivating well-being in engineering graduate students through mindfulness training.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether a mindfulness-based training program could improve emotional well-being and enhance research capacity among engineering graduate students.
Results Summary
The study found statistically significant improvements in emotional health, decreased neuroticism, increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and increased mindfulness in intervention groups. Phase 2 also showed improved research satisfaction.
Population
Engineering graduate students at two institutions.
Effective Dosage
Eight weekly mindfulness training sessions.
Duration
8 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based training program | increase | emotional health | engineering graduate students | statistically significant | improved | #1 |
mindfulness-based training program | decrease | neuroticism | engineering graduate students | statistically significant | decreased | #2 |
mindfulness-based training program | increase | positive affect | engineering graduate students | statistically significant | increased | #3 |
mindfulness-based training program | decrease | negative affect | engineering graduate students | statistically significant | decreased | #4 |
mindfulness-based training program | increase | mindfulness | engineering graduate students | statistically significant | increased | #5 |
mindfulness-based training program | increase | satisfaction with their research | intervention groups in Phase 2 | statistically significant | improvement in | #6 |
The mental health crisis in graduate education combined with low treatment rates among engineering graduate students underscores the need for engineering graduate programs to provide effective methods to promote well-being. There is an extensive body of neuroscience research showing that contemplative practices, such as mindfulness, produce measurable effects on brain function and overall well-being. We hypothesized that a mindfulness-based training program designed for engineering graduate students would improve emotional well-being and, secondarily, enhance research capacity. An initial pilot study was conducted at a single institution (Phase 1), followed by a larger study conducted at both the original and a second institution (Phase 2) to gather additional data and show the program's transferability. The program comprised eight weekly mindfulness training sessions. Individuals in the study were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or wait-list control group. We administered pre- and post-test surveys with quantitative measures designed to assess emotional and physical well-being, as well as creativity, research satisfaction, and desire to contribute to the betterment of society. Participants also completed a summative survey to evaluate the impact of the program on their well-being and research. Analysis revealed statistically significant findings: improved emotional health, decreased neuroticism, increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and increased mindfulness in the intervention groups compared to the control groups. Intervention groups in Phase 2 also reported statistically significant improvement in satisfaction with their research. Our findings suggest that mindfulness training has the potential to play a vital professional and personal development role in graduate engineering education.