The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Practice on Emotional Well-Being

Cayla Turko

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: College of Liberal Arts

Major: Forensic Psychology (M.A.)

Faculty Research Mentor: Christine Doyle

Abstract:

Anxiety and stress are common mental health problems among college-aged students. Many stressors, such as family, school, work, and volunteering, can contribute to the downfall of emotional well-being. Mindfulness-based meditation focuses on the body and mind with full awareness and zero judgment. This practice should reduce students' stress and worry within a brief session. The study consists of students obtaining either a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree. Several factors are monitored, including their employment, student, and familial status. Participants were questioned about their weekly and daily stress levels. They begin to think about their stress levels when the guided meditation video begins. They are encouraged to focus solely on their thoughts and body movements. The study concludes by asking them how stressed they are right after meditating, to measure the decrease after practice accurately. After a 7-minute video, students' emotional well-being should be temporarily boosted, reducing negative feelings. The t-test proved to be significant, the effect size was medium, and the hypothesis was proven to be correct, with those feeling “very stressed” being eliminated even in a small participant pool.