The Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Management Protocol on Academic Anxiety, Emotion Regulation, and Psychological Well-Being in Female University Students
Mohammad Ebrahim Hokmabadi, Javad Qafourinasab, Abazar Ashtari Mehrjardi, Fatemeh Salari, Toktam Azizi
SRPH Journal of Medical Sciences and Healthcare Management February 25, 2026 DOI: 10.47176/sjmshm.8.2.16 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with control group and two-month follow-up Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Female university students at Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur Branch, 2025-2026 academic year |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | Eight 90-minute sessions; two-month follow-up |
| Measures | Academic Anxiety Questionnaire, Garnefski and Kraaij Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | The MBSR group showed significant reductions in academic anxiety and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and increases in adaptive emotion regulation strategies and psychological well-being compared with the waiting-list control, with changes relatively maintained at two-month follow-up. The authors conclude that MBSR is effective for reducing emotional-cognitive difficulties and enhancing positive mental health indicators among female students. |
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) protocol on academic anxiety, emotion regulation, and psychological well-being among female university students.This study employed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group and a two-month follow-up.The statistical population consisted of female students at Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur Branch, during the 2025-2026 academic year.A total of 30 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group (15 participants in each group).The experimental group received the MBSR intervention in eight 90-minute sessions, while the control group remained on a waiting list.The research instruments included the Academic Anxiety Questionnaire, the Garnefski and Kraaij Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale.Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests.The results indicated that the main effect of time and the interaction effect of time × group were significant for academic anxiety, adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and psychological well-being.Specifically, academic anxiety and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies decreased in the experimental group, whereas adaptive emotion regulation strategies and psychological well-being increased, and these changes were relatively maintained at follow-up.Therefore, it can be concluded that the MBSR protocol is an effective intervention for reducing emotional-cognitive difficulties and enhancing positive mental health indicators among female students.