Abstract
This study explores the influence of mindfulness practices on the level of mindfulness and perception of stress among OT graduate students. Findings encourage the development of mindfulness programs to help students manage stressors encountered in the educational setting and help to prepare them for transition into clinical practice.
Primary Author and Speaker: Nicole Palase
Additional Authors and Speakers: Alex Lopes, Christine Rigney
Contributing Authors: Mary Walsh-Roche, Jan Garbarini
The investigators determined if (1) the implementation of mindful breathing exercises and body scan meditation would increase Level I Fieldwork Seminar occupational therapy graduate students’ level of mindfulness and (2) mindful breathing exercises and body scan meditation would reduce occupational therapy graduate students’ perception of stress. Stress is a worldwide concern among graduate students because of the high academic pressures of graduate school, which can contribute to various health problems. Studies have shown that academic pressures associated with higher-level educational programs may result in mental health concerns and suicidal ideation (Novotney, 2014). Researchers suggest that healthcare graduate students would benefit from participating in self-care courses and learning positive coping strategies (Aherne et al., 2016). Learning the value of self-care skills may contribute to enhanced physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being, and may benefit future healthcare workers who may wait until signs of burnout are already evident before seeking to learn these skills. The idea for a program in which students could participate in mindfulness practices on their own, as well as with classmates, was proposed as a way to increase opportunities for non-traditional weekend graduate students to learn about and experience mindfulness.
A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, with a qualitative component, was used in the investigators’ study. Thirty-eight occupational therapy graduate students enrolled in the fall 2017 Level I Fieldwork Seminar at Dominican College in Orangeburg, New York were selected using convenience sampling. Quantitative data was analyzed using a dependent samples t-test to determine if there was a significant difference between the mean pre and post-test scores on The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-39) and Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis, in which overarching themes were developed through coding and categorization.
No significant findings were obtained from the mean scores on the FFMQ-39, which consisted of the variables: observation, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging of inner experience, and non-reactivity to inner experience (t = 0.88; df = 37; p = 0.19); and the PSS-10 variable, the perception of stress (t = 0.30; df = 37; p = 0.38). Two themes, the perception of mindfulness and the influence of mindfulness, emerged from the qualitative data. However, the data indicated no change in the perception and influence of mindfulness prior to and following the intervention.
Previous research supports the effectiveness of mindfulness exercises in reducing stress among healthcare students and the use of mindfulness practices to promote well-being (Aherne et al., 2016; Myers et al., 2012; Novotney, 2014). Although the findings from the investigators' study indicated that the intervention did not have a significant effect in increasing levels of mindfulness and reducing the perception of stress, this pilot study provides valuable insights for guiding and developing future studies. Mindfulness strategies implemented into higher-level graduate programs may help to promote student academic performance and overall quality of life (QOL) with the transition of skills into clinical practice.
Aherne, D., Farrant, K., Hickey, L., Hickey, E., McGrath, L., & McGrath, D. (2016). Mindfulness based stress reduction for medical students: Optimizing student satisfaction and engagement. BioMed Central Medical Education, 16(1), 209. doi:10.1186/s12909-016-0728-8
Myers, S. B., Sweeney, A. C., Popick, V., Wesley, K., Bordfeld, A., & Fingerhut, R. (2012). Self-care practices and perceived stress levels among psychology graduate students. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 6(1), 55. doi:10.1037/a0026534
Novotney, A. (2014). Students under pressure. American Psychological Association, 45(8), 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/09/cover-pressure.aspx