Self-Perceived Stress of Undergraduate Students Before and After Participation in a Breathing Meditation Intervention: A Mixed Methods Study

This mixed methods study examined the effects of an eight-week breathing meditation intervention on the self-perceived stress of undergraduate students. Previous research suggests meditation is an effective strategy to alleviate stress and stress-related symptomatology (Baer, 2003; Conley, Travers, & Bryant, 2013; Shapiro, Brown & Astin, 2011). Forty-one undergraduate student volunteers participated in the study and were randomized into either an intervention group or control group. The intervention group met once per week for eight weeks and participated in a nine minute guided breathing meditation. At the conclusion of eight weeks participants, when compared with the control group, reported significantly lower stress as specified on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen, Kamarack, & Mermelstein, 1983). Individual case study analyses and a cross-case analysis further validated these findings. The breathing meditation technique demonstrated itself to be an effective strategy for undergraduate students to manage their self-perceived stress