Ratih Arruum Listiyandini, Annisa Andriani, Nyda Afsari, Elya Marfu'atun, Nurul Hafizah, Achmad Sholeh, Rizky Bina Nirbayaningtyas, Michelle L. Moulds, Alison E.J. Mahoney, Jill M. Newby
Psychological distress is prevalent among university students worldwide, including in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) such as Indonesia. Internet-delivered mindfulness interventions have been found to reduce distress. However, studies that evaluate the effectiveness of internet-delivered mindfulness interventions in LMICs are very limited. This randomised wait-list controlled trial assessed the effectiveness of a culturally adapted internet-based mindfulness intervention with lay counsellor guidance for reducing distress among university students in Indonesia. Indonesian university students experiencing elevated distress (N = 156) were randomly allocated to a 4-lesson internet-based mindfulness program with counsellor guidance (n = 77) or wait-list control (WLC) group (n = 79) during 4 weeks of intervention. Both groups completed self-report measures assessing psychological distress (DASS-21 and K-10), mindfulness (FFMQ), and well-being (IWBS) at baseline (T0), post-treatment (T1-week 5 after randomization), and 1-month follow-up (T2-week 9 after randomization). Intention-to-treat linear mixed models showed that participants on the internet-based mindfulness program guided by lay counsellors showed greater improvements at post-treatment and 1-month follow-up in psychological distress and mindfulness (between-group Hedges’ gs = 0.48–1.18) compared to the WLC group. Moderate between group effect sizes for wellbeing were found at 1-month follow-up (g = 0.47). This study showed that a culturally adapted internet-based mindfulness intervention with counsellor guidance is efficacious in reducing the psychological distress of Indonesian university students. Future research should evaluate the longer-term outcomes and its cost-effectiveness in Indonesia. © 2025 The Authors
School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Psychology, Universitas YARSI, Jakarta, 10510, Indonesia; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Universitas Jambi, Jambi, Indonesia; Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Growth Development Unit & Psychology Clinic, Rumah Sakit Dr. Oen Solo Baru, Sukoharjo, Indonesia; Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Tarumanagara, Jakarta, Indonesia; Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD), St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, 2010, NSW, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
