One-year follow-up of a remote delivered Koru Mindfulness RCT intervention for college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

J Am Coll Health. 2025 Apr;73(4):1306-1309. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2024.2409694. Epub 2024 Nov 27.

Abstract

Objective: To examine whether a remote, online, group-based mindfulness intervention maintains long-term effects at one-year follow-up. Participants: 61 college students (38 in the intervention group, 23 controls) completed the follow-up survey. Methods: Follow-up to an RCT using a 4-week Koru Mindfulness program, investigating pre-to-follow-up changes in the intervention group compared to control participants. Results: The intervention produced significant follow-up effects, as assessed by a time by group interaction in a MANOVA (Cohen's d = 0.59), with univariate effects for four of our 21 variables, compared to reliable posttest effects for 16 of these variables. Post-intervention practice maintenance was low (on average participants practiced once a month); continued practice correlated with treatment gain in two of our mindfulness variables, stress, worry, and anxiety. Conclusions: We found some evidence for maintained benefits one year after a remote, online, group-based mindfulness program, as well as modest evidence for the benefit of continued practice.

Keywords: Koru; Mindfulness; RCT; follow-up; remote.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anxiety / therapy
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / psychology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mindfulness* / methods
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Stress, Psychological / therapy
  • Students* / psychology
  • Students* / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Universities / organization & administration
  • Young Adult