The Effects of Teaching Mindfulness on Stress in Physical Therapy Students – A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: High stress levels among doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students have been reported consistently in the literature. Training in mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the impact of teaching a mindfulness curriculum to DPT students on stress levels and mindfulness scores following training and 8 weeks later. Methods: This was a mixed methods, randomized controlled study design conducted with 32 DPT students, who were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received course instruction, plus a mindfulness curriculum over a 6-week period, and the control group received only the course instruction. The Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were administered as pre- and post-tests (immediately after and again 8 weeks after) to both groups. Qualitative interviews were conducted following the intervention. Results: Repeated measures MANOVA revealed statistically significant interaction for PSS between time and group (P = .022). Pairwise comparisons revealed statistically significant differences on posttests one (P = .008) and two (P = .029), with PSS scores being higher in the control group. FFMQ results showed a statistically significant interaction between time and group (P = .016). Pairwise comparisons showed a statistically significant difference (P = .032) at the first posttest time point, with the control group scores being lower, but no statistically significant difference for posttest two. Qualitative analysis showed Prior Experience, Perception, Mindfulness Tools, Challenges, Stress Management, Self-Regulation, Continued Application, and Feedback on Course as categories, each containing subcategories and themes. Discussion: The results showed a statistically significant improvement in students’ perceived stress and mindfulness, and a favorable learning experience for most students. These results suggest that incorporating short segments of mindfulness training into DPT education may decrease student stress and increase mindfulness