Acceptability and Feasibility of an 8-week Online Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Program Among Undergraduate Students

Mental health problems -particularly depression- are the main cause of morbidity in young people (1), which has a known association with different health and social problems, such as increased alcohol consumption and drug dependence, adolescent pregnancy, school dropouts , criminal behavior, self-harm, and even suicide (2-4). MBCT is an intervention that has been shown to reduce depression, stress and anxiety in the adult and university population; however, its duration and time demands make it difficult to implement. The available evidence of mindfulness interventions in university students is heterogeneous, with various methodological flaws, and is based on self-applied programs such as Mindful Mood Balance (MMB), without the participation of instructors. The current study aim to explore the acceptability and feasibility of an intervention based on a Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program with training in mindfulness strategies for 8 weeks. The adapted MBCT intervention will consist of eight weekly group sessions of 1 hour and 30 minutes, led by a certified instructor, to address the depressive and anxiety symptoms in the university population. In addition, the intervention will be complemented with the inclusion of audiovisual material, aimed at guiding self-applied daily exercises.