Introduction: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, online teaching has reshaped how students engage and connect in academic settings. While offering flexibility and accessibility, it also presents challenges and opportunities related to stress and well-being. Mindfulness-based interventions show promise in addressing these issues, yet their effectiveness in virtual classrooms remains underexplored. This study examined whether participation in an online mindfulness intervention could enhance resilience, reduce stress, and increase mindfulness among college students compared to a control group.


Method: Participants (N= 234) in this multi-year study included undergraduate and graduate students ages 19-63 (M= 28.6, SD=8.58). The experimental group consisted of N=102 participants, and the control group consisted of N= 132 participants. The experimental group consisted of students enrolled in an asynchronous online holistic health course, whereas the control group comprised students from three asynchronous online sports studies courses that did not include a mindfulness component.


Results: An Independent-Samples t-test indicated statistically significant decreases in stress (Perceived Stress Scale, t232 = -6.084, p < .001) and increases in mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, t231 = 7.720, p < .001; Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, t231 = 7.673, p < .001) for the experimental group compared to the control group. Resilience measures revealed non-statistically significant changes (The Brief Resiliency Scale, t231 = 4.623, p = .193).


Conclusion: This study suggests that online mindfulness interventions embedded in a higher education course may offer significant benefits for students. Findings showed that a classroom-based online mindfulness intervention reduced stress and increased resilience and mindfulness when compared to the control group. Given students' high stress levels, limited access to mental health resources, and the impact of stress on academic and health outcomes, these results could help guide future campus interventions. Integrating mindfulness into course curricula may provide a convenient, accessible method for stress relief. Implications and limitations will be discussed.