A Comparison of Mindfulness Techniques to Reduce Anxiety in a University Setting
Location
CSU Ballroom
Start Date
10-4-2018 2:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2018 3:30 PM
Student's Major
Psychology
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Shawna Petersen-Brown
Mentor's Department
Psychology
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Second Mentor's Name
Carlos Panahon
Second Mentor's Department
Psychology
Second Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Third Mentor's Name
Megan Johnson
Third Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
Undergraduate students are prone to high levels of stress, and stress is likely to result in negative outcomes for these students, including reduced self-esteem and poor health habits (Hudd et al., 2000). With this being said, identifying effective interventions for stressed undergraduate students is critical. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) could have potential benefits for coping with stress. MBIs emphasize the regulation of attention with a focus on being present, open, and accepting, which can help reduce stress (Carsley, Heath, & Fajnerova, 2015). MBIs have been found to be effective in decreasing stress and anxiety levels in college students. There is a lack of research on MBIs within the university setting, suggesting that more research is needed prior to their use. There is not only a need to add to the research investigating MBIs in a university setting, but there is also a need to compare MBIs to other accepted methods of reducing stress and anxiety, including stress reduction seminars which include psychoeducation and relaxation training. Our study will utilize a randomized group design with a pretest and posttest as well as two groups: MBI and a stress reduction seminar. We hypothesize that anxiety levels will be reduced the most in the seminar condition. This is because the participants will be learning actual skills that they can apply to their lives and use to reduce everyday stress rather than simply coloring in a mandala. Preliminary results and implications for the findings will be discussed.
A Comparison of Mindfulness Techniques to Reduce Anxiety in a University Setting
CSU Ballroom
Undergraduate students are prone to high levels of stress, and stress is likely to result in negative outcomes for these students, including reduced self-esteem and poor health habits (Hudd et al., 2000). With this being said, identifying effective interventions for stressed undergraduate students is critical. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) could have potential benefits for coping with stress. MBIs emphasize the regulation of attention with a focus on being present, open, and accepting, which can help reduce stress (Carsley, Heath, & Fajnerova, 2015). MBIs have been found to be effective in decreasing stress and anxiety levels in college students. There is a lack of research on MBIs within the university setting, suggesting that more research is needed prior to their use. There is not only a need to add to the research investigating MBIs in a university setting, but there is also a need to compare MBIs to other accepted methods of reducing stress and anxiety, including stress reduction seminars which include psychoeducation and relaxation training. Our study will utilize a randomized group design with a pretest and posttest as well as two groups: MBI and a stress reduction seminar. We hypothesize that anxiety levels will be reduced the most in the seminar condition. This is because the participants will be learning actual skills that they can apply to their lives and use to reduce everyday stress rather than simply coloring in a mandala. Preliminary results and implications for the findings will be discussed.
Recommended Citation
McCorkell, Brennah. "A Comparison of Mindfulness Techniques to Reduce Anxiety in a University Setting." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 10, 2018.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2018/poster-session-B/11
