The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on educational stress, exam anxiety, and coping strategies in nursing students
Samineh Esmaeilzadeh, Özlem Akalpler, Duygu Oktay Evren
Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn) May 1, 2026 DOI: 10.11591/edulearn.v20i2.23528 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 68 |
| Population | Nursing students at a university |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction |
| Measures | Nursing Education Stress Scale (NESS), State Test Anxiety Scale (STAS), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | The mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention produced statistically significant improvements in overall educational stress, application stress, academic stress, and mindfulness scores compared to the control group, suggesting it helps nursing students cope with exam anxiety. |
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention on educational stress and coping with exam anxiety and mindfulness in nursing students. This study utilizes a quasi-experimental design with the pretest-post-test control group. Personal information form, nursing education stress scale (NESS), state test anxiety scale (STAS), and mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS) were employed as data collection instruments in the study. The study group of the research consisted of 68 students in university. Findings indicated statistically significant differences between the changes in the participant’s scores in the control and experimental groups in the overall NESS in the post-test and the application stress and academic stress scale. The results further found a statistically significant difference between the changes in the scores of the participants in the control and experimental groups in the post-test from the MASS. The intervention based on mindfulness stress reduction led to positive results in students’ coping with exam anxiety. Educational programs should be organized to enable students to cope more effectively with the stressors they encounter. Therefore, it is believed that it would be appropriate to introduce similar programs in the education process of nursing students.