Psychoeducation Intervention for Stress Management in Adolescents

Background: Stress reduction techniques (SRT) such as yoga, exercise, deep breathing, positive self-talk, sleep hygiene among others, have shown to be effective in stress reduction in adolescents. SRTs are effective in lowering stress levels, improving mood, reducing anxiety levels as well as promoting overall health. Purpose: This DNP project aimed to implement a psychoeducation intervention using e-brochures to reduce stress levels among adolescent’s ages 16-18 years old. Methods: A total of 15 adolescents who agreed to participate in the program received a psychoeducation intervention using e-brochures on the impact of stress on their mental health and a few SRTs including deep breathing, exercise, positive self-talk, and sleep hygiene, to practice daily for 4 weeks. The 40-minute one-time psychoeducation session was provided to 15 adolescents via zoom due to social distancing measures, educating them of the negative impacts of stress on their overall health and the different SRT types that they can implement daily for 4 weeks for reducing stress. Quantitative data were collected pre & post-intervention using the perceived stress scale (PSS). Qualitative data were also collected post-intervention using participants’ responses to program usefulness to reduce their stress levels. Results:Results showed all 15 participants had an improvement in post-intervention scores (Mean= 15.46, SD= 4.22) when compared to pre-intervention scores (Mean= 27.93, SD= 5.90). Qualitative data showed 14 out of 15 participants self-reported they found the intervention helpful for stress control. One participant reported uncertainty in program’s usefulness. Implications/Conclusion: Daily use of SRT lowers stress levels in adolescents ages 16-18 years old