Mindfulness in a College Physiology Course

Part of paid clinical trials in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Sponsor
Trustees of Dartmouth College
Study ID
NCT06423053
Status
Enrolling By Invitation

Conditions

  • Mindfulness
  • Stress
  • Well-being

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Biology Course with Integrated Mindfulness — BEHAVIORAL
    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 for 15 minutes daily outside of class, at least 5 days a week. They are also required to attend a group mindfulness session of 30 mins or longer each week. Students are required to attend either a 4.5-hour on-campus mindfulness retreat or a two-day (16-hour) on-campus mindfulness retreat.

Study Details

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?

Key Dates

Start date
Mar 30, 2026
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Jun 3, 2026
Completion
Sep 1, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
89 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION

Arms

  • Experimental: Biology 3 students
    This arm consists of students enrolled in the Mindful Physiology course (Biology 3) at Dartmouth College during the Spring 2026 term who will have access to the course offerings and usual university wellness resources.
  • No Intervention: Biology 3 waitlisted students
    This arm consists of students waitlisted for the Biology 3 course during the Spring 2026 term. They receive university wellness resources as usual. These include access to wellness counselors, mental health advisors, and psychiatrists at the university's counseling center, wellness advising at the student wellness center, and campus-wide wellness programs, such as weekly group yoga and meditation sessions and a free subscription to the Headspace app. On-campus mindfulness retreats will also be advertised and accessible to the control group.

Primary Outcome Measure

Applied Mindfulness [ Time Frame: Baseline and intervention completion (~10 weeks) ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Dartmouth CollegeHanoverNew Hampshire03755-

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Dartmouth College· Hanover, NH

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