The effectiveness of mindfulness training on coping with stress, exam anxiety, and happiness to promote health

Background: Mindfulness as an intervention approach in mental health has been increasingly used to promote health in young people. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness training on coping with stress, test anxiety, and happiness to promote health in female high school students.

Materials and Methods: The design of this study was quasi-experimental with control group, with pretest and posttest. The statistical population of the study included all the female students studying in the secondary high school in the city of Sanandaj in Iran with 2890 students, 40 of whom were selected by simple random sampling method and were randomly assigned to the experimental (20 individuals) and control groups (20 individuals). Participants completed the Oxford Happiness (0.79), Sarason Exam Anxiety (0.87), and Andler and Parker Stress Management (0.81) Questionnaires. The method of intervention was training based on mindfulness. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis.

Results: The results showed that in the posttest, a significant difference was seen between the mean scores of the participants of the experimental and control groups in the variables of problem-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidant coping variables (P < 0.05). In addition, the results showed that in the posttest, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of test anxiety; happiness; and happiness components including life satisfaction, self-esteem, active well-being, satisfaction, and positive mood (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study, it can be said that mindfulness training is an effective intervention to improve coping styles, test anxiety, and happiness in students.