Introduction: Rising global concerns about youth mental health highlight the need for evidence-based prevention. University life, while often stressful and demanding, offers a key window for early intervention to promote resilience and psychological wellbeing. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly used in higher education, with virtual reality (VR) showing promise in enhancing mindfulness, emotional well-being, and engagement. However, research on VR-integrated MBIs among Chinese university students remains limited.


Purpose: The present pilot study aimed to assess the effectiveness of MBIs with a VR component on neuropsychological and mental health outcomes and investigate the relationship between mindfulness, self-compassion, mind wandering, and mental health outcomes. It hypothesizes improved outcomes in self-compassion, resilience and reduce levels in stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms for VR-integrated MBI group compared to MBI-only group.


Method: 70 university students aged 18-25 are being recruited via convenient and snowball sampling. Participants were randomly assigned to MBI-only or MBI with VR groups The MBI intervention includes six 90-minute group sessions with mindfulness practices, inquiry, and discussion, in which VR mindfulness breathing exercises are added for the VR group. Neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes, including stress, anxiety, depression, resilience, and mindfulness, were measured at baseline and post-intervention.


Findings: Preliminary results from questionnaires showed that revealed significant improvements in mindfulness and reduction distress following both mindfulness interventions. Qualitative interviews revealed increased emotional awareness and a stronger intention for self-care following the group sessions. VR enhanced participants' engagement and interest in mindfulness practices, although some encountered barriers such as technical difficulties.


Conclusions: The cultural adaptation and impact of VR-enhanced mindfulness interventions on mental health outcomes and student engagement will be discussed. The findings offer insights for designing more accessible, culturally relevant, and tech-integrated mental health programmes tailored to young adults in higher education.