2025, Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part B

author(s)
Nisha Yadav and Parisha Chaudhari

abstract

Background of the study: Nursing students experience significant academic stress from heavy workloads and clinical demands, leading to anxiety, poor academic outcomes, and burnout among over half of students globally. This prolonged stress compromises concentration and future professional competence, making effective interventions essential for their well-being. Mindfulness therapy emerges as a proven and accessible mind-body strategy to manage this stress by enhancing emotional regulation and self-awareness, thereby strengthening student resilience.

Research Methodology: A quasiexperimental pre-test-post-test control group design was used with 92 nursing students selected through stratified random sampling (46 experimental, 46 control). The experimental group received 25-minute mindfulness sessions for three weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using a socio-demographic proforma, the Modified Academic Stress Scale (r=0.93), and the GAD-7 scale. Analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics.

Result: The pre-test showed that both groups had moderate to severe academic stress and anxiety. After the mindfulness intervention, the experimental group’s mean stress score dropped from 81.26 to 63.45, and anxiety from 14.32 to 7.41. The control group showed almost no change in stress (80.19 to 79.62) or anxiety (13.95 to 13.41). Post-test comparisons showed a significant difference between groups (p < 0.05), confirming the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy. Stress and anxiety were positively correlated in both groups (r = 0.68 experimental; r = 0.72 control). Father’s education was significantly associated with post-test stress in the experimental group, while in the control group, area of residence and recent family events were associated with stress, and area of residence with anxiety. Overall, mindfulness therapy significantly reduced academic stress and anxiety among nursing students.