Effectiveness of a Mindfulness Program in Reducing Academic Stress among University Students
K. L. Perez Correa, N. Renteria ValenciaIntroduction
Academic stress negatively impacts students’ well-being and performance. Mindfulness has shown effectiveness in reducing stress and improving emotional regulation. This study assessed the impact of a Mindfulness program on academic stress among university students in Ecuador.
Objectives
To evaluate the effectiveness of a Mindfulness program in reducing academic stress among students at the School of Social Work, Luis Vargas Torres Technical University (Ecuador).
Methods
A quantitative quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-intervention measures was conducted. The sample consisted of 46 students divided into two groups (experimental and control, n=23 each). The Academic Stress Inventory (SISCO SV-21) and the Academic Stressors Scale (ECEA) were applied. The intervention included 16 Mindfulness sessions adapted to the university context.
Results
A significant reduction in academic stress levels was observed in the experimental group following the Mindfulness intervention. Statistical analysis using the Student’s
t
-test for related samples showed a highly significant difference between pre- and post-test scores (
p
< 0.0001), indicating a strong effect of the intervention on stress reduction. The mean stress score decreased from 63.52 (SD = 11.59) to 37.71 (SD = 23.40), representing a reduction of 40.7%. In contrast, the control group showed no significant differences between pre- and post-test scores (
p
> 0.05), maintaining relatively stable levels of academic stress throughout the study period. These findings demonstrate that the positive changes were attributable to the Mindfulness program rather than to external or temporal factors.
Table 1. Long description.