Immediate mood changes and practice adherence during a self-directed SKT1 meditation program in university students: An intensive longitudinal study

by Sorachai Kamollimsakul, Suparpit Maneesakorn von Bormann, Somporn Kantharadussadee Triamchaisri Background University students frequently report elevated stress, yet access to formal mental health services is often constrained. Self-directed mind-body practices, such as the Somporn Kantharadussadee Triamchaisri program (SKT1), may offer low-intensity mood management; however, real-world evidence based on repeated within-person assessments remains limited.

Objectives To examine immediate within-session mood changes, practice adherence, temporal stability, and individual differences associated with self-directed SKT1 practice among university students. Methods Twenty-seven university students ( n = 19 female, 70.37%) completed 28 self-directed SKT1 sessions over 14 days, yielding 710 within-person observations.

Negative mood was rated on a 0–10 numeric rating scale (NRS) immediately before and after each session. Data were analyzed using Linear Mixed Models (LMM) with a Diagonal covariance structure, which provided a superior model fit compared to simpler variance components.

Results Participants demonstrated high engagement, completing a mean of 26.3 sessions ( SD = 2.8).