Building Stress Resilience and Wellbeing: Introducing Mindfulness Training to Reduce Stress in Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Students

Given the high levels of stress in college students and its impact on academic achievement, a purposefully designed curriculum-based mindfulness stress reduction program was implemented for entry-level occupational therapy students to support student mental health. The small-scale, seven-week study, used a combination of mindfulness-based stress reduction strategies, including a meditative technique known as inquiry-based stress reduction (IBSR), and coping strategies using the Occupational Performance Coaching Model to help students cope with their stress levels. Sixteen student participants explored a variety of stress reduction strategies to best suit their individualized needs. Strategies included phone applications, podcasts, guided meditation, yoga, mindfulness of breath, and inquiry-based stress reduction techniques. Emotional intelligence-based occupational therapy principles were reinforced, including the therapeutic use of self, client-centered care, and occupation. A mixed-methods research design was used to measure changes in student stress levels from pre to post-intervention using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and a post-intervention instructor-developed survey. Results from the overall score of the PSS were statistically significant (t=3.29; p< 0.05) indicating a significant reduction in participants’ perceived stress levels. On the instructor-developed survey, 100% of the students (N=16) who participated in this mindfulness training felt it was helpful: 81% (n=13) of the participants rated it very helpful and 19% (n=3) rated it as somewhat helpful in reducing their stress levels. These results suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may be effective in reducing perceived stress in occupational therapy students. Educators might consider integrating student stress coping strategies early in their occupational therapy programs.