A quasiexperimental study of assessing the impact of stress management program on health science students at Kuwait University.
Naser M Alotaibi, Latifah Alenezi, Feddah M Ahmad, Wadha Almutairi, Dhuha Alshammari, Manal Alenezi, Moudhi Alotaibi
Scientific Reports May 12, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-01633-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasiexperimental Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 98 |
| Population | Students at the Health Science Center, Kuwait University |
| Interventions | written hand-outs structured home program) |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognitive behavioral therapy Coping Culture Stress management |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | The stress management program significantly improved stress and depression in the intervention group compared to the control group. |
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to study the effectiveness of a stress management program among students at the Health Science Center (HSC), Kuwait University. This study utilized a quasiexperimental research design in which the participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) the control group or (2) the experimental (intervention) group. The participants received a comprehensive educational seminar relevant to stress management (i.e., a presentation, written hand-outs and a structured home program). The program addressed nine topics pertaining to stress management strategies: breathing and imagery techniques; self-care routines; planning for success; meditation strategies; monitoring mechanisms for coping; seeking help for mental health, exercise and health; cognitive behavioral therapy tips (CBTs); and psychoeducation. The demographic data along with using two validated tools were collected through online google form; the validated tools were: (1) the Perceived Stress Scale and (2) the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21. Nonparametric tests, including Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and Kruskal‒Wallis tests, were used to investigate statistically significant differences between the median scores of the control and intervention groups (p values < 0.05). Ninety-eight participants participated in the stress management program (56 participants in the intervention group and 42 in the control group). There was a significant improvement in stress and depression in the intervention group compared with the control group (p values < 0.05). With respect to the value of the stress management program, additional online postintervention survey questions were filled out by the intervention group; 82.1% (n = 46) of the intervention group agreed that the stress management program was useful, and 89.3% (n = 50) agreed that they would recommend that other students utilize this program regularly in the future. In conclusion, in this study, we developed, implemented, and evaluated the effects of a stress management program among HSC students. The program improved HSC students' mental health while reducing their depression and stress levels. Most importantly, the study findings presented here were feasible and could provide important information that can be applied to future studies and used as invaluable mental health resources for students at different university programs. Thus, future studies with larger representative samples and true randomized controlled trials are needed to consolidate our findings concerning the value of such scientifically driven and culturally relevant stress management program.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... | 2013 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group | n = 37 |
| Being present in the face of existential threat: The role of trait mindfulness in reducing defensive responses to mortality salience. | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience | 2013 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 15 |
| Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience Community adults | 2009 | Quasi-experimental and longitudinal | n = 69 |
| Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment Volunteers | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 11 |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- An Eight-Week Zen Meditation and Music Programme for Mindfulness and Happiness: Qualitative Content Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health December 4, 2023
- Efficacy of the Mindfulness Meditation Mobile App “Calm” to Reduce Stress Among College Students: Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR mHealth and uHealth June 1, 2019
- Impact of a Yoga and Meditation Intervention on Students' Stress and Anxiety Levels American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education June 1, 2019
- The Effects of Meditation, Yoga, and Mindfulness on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Tertiary Education Students: A Meta-Analysis Frontiers in Psychiatry April 24, 2019
- Promoting healthy transition to college through mindfulness training with first-year college students: Pilot randomized controlled trial Journal of American College Health January 11, 2017