فائزه مسلمی

Objective: Insomnia, marked by difficulty falling or staying asleep, affects many students and contributes to increased worry, cognitive distortions, and depression, exacerbating their overall well-being and academic performance. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in reducing worry, cognitive distortions, and depression in students with insomnia symptoms. Method: The research utilized a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of university students in Ardabil Province during the 2023-2024 academic year. A total of 34 students were purposefully selected based on predefined criteria (e.g., insomnia symptoms) and then randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 17) or the control group (n = 17). The research instruments included the Insomnia Severity Index (2001), the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (1990), the Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire (2004), and the Beck Depression Inventory (1996). The intervention group participated in eight weekly sessions of 90-minute MBSR, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance with SPSS-27. Results: The results indicated that MBSR significantly reduced worry (F = 46.86), rejection in interpersonal relationships (F = 30.07), unrealistic expectations in relationships (F = 41.54), misperception in interpersonal relationships (F = 30.38), and depression (F = 41.20) among students with insomnia symptoms (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The results highlight the potential of MBSR as a valuable non-pharmacological intervention for managing insomnia and associated psychological challenges in academic settings. Given its effectiveness, further research could explore long-term benefits and applicability across diverse student populations and settings.