Relationship between mindfulness, test anxiety, and academic performance among nursing students.
Ali Asghar Hayat, Rahmatollah Soltani, Tayebeh Bahmani Tazangi, Fereshteh Baradaranfar, Azam Zareh, Azam Norouzi, Mohammad Hasan Keshavarzi
Journal of Education and Health Promotion 2025 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1501_23 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Descriptive cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 151 |
| Population | Nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran |
| Topics | Meditation Anxiety |
| Keywords | Academic performance Nursing students Test anxiety |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness was inversely correlated with test anxiety and positively correlated with academic performance among nursing students. |
Abstract
The content of mindfulness-based social-emotional learning (MBSEL) concentrates on conscious attention to thoughts, emotions, and bodily senses, which reduces test stress and anxiety and also leads to an increase in students' performance regarding stress management and improving responsible behaviors. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the degree of test anxiety and the level of students' mindfulness and the academic performance of nursing students. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during 2021-2022, and the target population included all nursing students of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. The sample size is determined by Cochran's formula (151 participants). The sampling method was also simple random. The Sarason's test anxiety questionnaire and the short form of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory were used to collect data. The student's academic performance was also evaluated based on their previous academic semester scores. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 23 software through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and an independent t-test. According to the Pearson correlation coefficient, there was an inverse and significant correlation between the variable of mindfulness and the level of test anxiety in nursing students (r = -170, P = 0.033), a positive and significant correlation between academic performance and mindfulness (r = 0.284, P = 0.001), and a negative and significant correlation between academic performance and test anxiety level (r = -0.170, P = 0.037). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is effective in reducing negative thoughts, ineffective attitudes, depression, stress, and anxiety, and this therapy strategy can be used to reduce or treat anxiety and worry in students.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety. International sample of people who reported having used a psychedelic | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 985 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Ecstasy/MDMA attributed problems reported by novice, moderate and heavy recreational users Ecstasy users who participated in a WWW study of recreational drug use | 2002 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 282 |
| 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. Adults who used 5-MeO-DMT in a group setting with structured procedures | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 362 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Comparison of the effect of two educational methods based on mindfulness and cognitive emotion strategies on psychological well-being and anxiety of eighth-semester midwifery students before the final clinical trial. Journal of Education and Health Promotion September 28, 2022
- The effectiveness of mindfulness training on coping with stress, exam anxiety, and happiness to promote health Journal of Education and Health Promotion May 31, 2021
- Mindfulness and Behavior Change Harvard Review of Psychiatry November 1, 2020
- The interplay between mindfulness, depression, stress and academic performance in medical students: A Saudi perspective. PLoS One April 3, 2020
- The shape of change in perceived stress, negative affect, and stress sensitivity during mindfulness-based stress reduction. Mindfulness June 2017
and 2 more in the library