Mindfulness and Self-Compassion in McGill University

Mental health issues are increasingly costly in Quebec. Given most psychological disorders occur before age 24, university-based interventions are appealing to prevent and treat mental illness, especially as rates of psychological distress have peaked among university students in our province. This at-risk population may benefit from new university-based programs, as academic institutions now face limited staffing and an increasing number of students seeking services. Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs are a promising approach, reporting substantial increases in emotional regulation. Novel mindful self-compassion (MSC) programs additionally display increasing improvements in resilience, that could foster stronger well-being in highly competitive academic contexts. A few high-quality scientific studies have investigated the impact of university setting MSC programs, but it remains unclear to determine whether MBSR or MSC may be useful in Canadian student populations experiencing psychological distress. This study will rigorously evaluate both programs efficacy and will be the first one to understand the student's experience in both groups.