Teaching Self-care in the Organic Chemistry Classroom

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the benefit of teaching organic chemistry students about self-care to decrease stress and increase coping skills. Students were presented with a mini-curriculum in self-care as part of the organic chemistry I course. This mini-curriculum presented self-care methodologies through videos, readings, and conversations before weekly quizzes. Students were encouraged to try these strategies in their daily lives. An experimental study design was implemented using experimental and control groups. Changes in student coping skills were assessed using a pre-/post-test. A focus group gathered impressions of the mini-curriculum, as well as what students learned and are now practicing related to stress management. Quantitative outcomes, while not statistically significant, showed favorable trends. Qualitative data emphasized the positive effect and highlighted personal growth.