This proof-of-concept RCT tested Mind-OP+, a 7-week brief online self-help mindfulness and self-compassion intervention, versus a waitlist control in 141 university students, with dispositional envy (DES) as the primary outcome and depression, anxiety, stress (DASS-21), self-compassion (SCS-SF), and mindfulness (FFMQ-15) as secondary outcomes.
Intent-to-treat mixed linear models showed Mind-OP+ significantly reduced dispositional envy (large effect), depression (medium effect), and stress (medium effect) vs. waitlist; anxiety reduction was not significant. Mind-OP+ participants also reported significantly higher self-compassion and dispositional mindfulness over the trial.
- Sample was limited to undergraduate psychology students, limiting generalizability. - Trial was registered retrospectively after data collection, raising risk of outcome reporting bias. - No active control condition, so improvements may partly reflect Hawthorne or regression-to-the-mean effects.
A brief, self-guided online mindfulness and self-compassion program can meaningfully reduce dispositional envy and related distress symptoms in students over 7 weeks. Clinicians may consider targeting envy directly as part of treatment for depression and stress, though replication in clinical populations is needed.
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