PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND ONLINE MINDFULNESS TRAINING

Despite the improvements in resources and communication in today’s world, many people still do not have access to mental health resources. Mindfulness, a type of meditation, has been shown to be effective at reducing stress, reducing pain, and increasing general mental well-being. Mindfulness has the potential to reach many people though internet-based interventions. However, more research is needed to determine whether mindfulness retains its efficacy when delivered over the internet. Participants engaged in a six week program of internet-based mindfulness interventions. Facets of mental well-being were assessed at various time points including mood state, anxiety, quality of life, mindfulness, and psychological inflexibility. Hierarchical Linear Modeling demonstrated that over time, participants significantly increased their level of mindfulness and decreased in their psychological inflexibility. Measurements pertaining to mood, anxiety, quality of life, and perceived stress did not change significantly. Nonetheless, results from the present study suggest the potential efficacy of internet-based mindfulness interventions and highlight the need for future research in this domain.M.S. in Psychology, May 201