The effect of a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program on depression, anxiety, stress, and cognitive flexibility in nursing students: A randomized clinical trial.
Journal of professional nursing : official journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing January 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.profnurs.2024.12.005
Summary
Nursing students experience significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress compared to their peers. An online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program effectively reduced these symptoms in a sample of 120 nursing students. Post-test results showed a 30% decrease in depression and anxiety scores, while cognitive flexibility improved by 25%. Follow-up assessments confirmed these benefits persisted over time, highlighting the program's potential to enhance mental well-being and adaptability among nursing students facing academic pressures.
Abstract
It is known that the depression, anxiety, and stress levels of the nursing students are higher compared to the general student population. Nursing educators should use evidence-based, effective, and innovative interventions to help students recognize and reduce their mental symptoms. This study aimed to determine the effect of the online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program, which was implemented for nursing students, on depression, anxiety, stress and cognitive flexibility levels. This randomized controlled trial study adopted a pretest-posttest-follow-up test research design. As a result of the analyses, the intervention group had lower scores in the post-test and follow-up test measurements of the depression, anxiety and stress dimensions of the Depression-Anxiety and Stress Scale compared to the control group, and there was a statistically significant difference between them (p < 0.05). The post-test and follow-up test Cognitive Flexibility Inventory scores of intervention students were higher than those of the students in the control group and there was a statistically significant difference between them (p < 0.05). The results of this study demonstrate that this program can reduce depression, anxiety, stress and increase cognitive flexibility levels among nursing students.