Naturally mindful : piloting nature-based mindfulness training for college students with anxiety
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Luke A. Vitagliano (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Kelly Wester
Abstract: The mental health crisis across college campuses is accelerating, with anxiety listed as the top mental health issue for undergraduate college students (Center for Collegiate Health, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic sent universities into disarray, with students experiencing an increase in perceived stress and anxiety (Hoyt et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2021; Nguyen et al., 2021). College counseling centers, often under resourced (Lipson et al., 2019), must adapt to serve their community ripe with mental health concerns, with Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) a tool at their disposal. Although evidence supports the benefits of group MBIs to reduce stress and anxiety for college students (Hazlett-Stevens & Oren, 2017; Levin et al., 2017; Lothes II et al., 2021), group counseling services were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with students asked to leave campus and refrain from social gatherings, with one exception, outdoors in nature. Exposure to nature contributes to positive mental health outcomes (Howell et al., 2011; Howell & Passmore, 2013; Lackey et al., 2021), specifically for college students (Foellmer et al., 2021; McFarland et al., 2008). With both exposure to nature and mindfulness practices effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, nature-based mindfulness may enhance mindfulness practice and improve well-being (Albrecht & Albrecht, 2019; Van Gordon et al., 2018). Brief nature-based mindfulness interventions appear beneficial to college student mental health and mood (Ibes & Forestell, 2022; Ibes et al., 2018; Nisbet et al., 2019; Owens & Bunce, 2022a). However, a major flaw in the nature-based mindfulness literature is the lack of articulating the integration of nature and mindfulness in the intervention design which is vital given the reciprocal relationship between mindfulness and natural environments (Van Gordon et al., 2018). The author integrated the core components of Mindfulness (i.e., Attention, Intention, and Attitude; Shapiro et al., 2006) and Attention Restoration Theory (ART; i.e., Being Away, Extent, Soft Fascination, and Compatibility; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) into the Nature-Based Mindfulness Training intervention aimed to improve mindfulness and reduce anxiety. The author explored the impact of a newly created 90-minute psychoeducational group intervention, NBMT, for college students experiencing anxiety. Using a quantitative, two-group quasi-experimental switching replication with treatment removal design, the author explored the impact of the intervention on college student anxiety and mindfulness scores when compared to a control/delayed intervention group. Secondary research questions explored the relationship between level of engagement and anxiety change scores. While the study results indicated nonsignificant results in reducing anxiety for participants in the intervention group (n = 20) when compared to a control group (n = 19), the effect size was between small and moderate. NBMT appears to impact total mindfulness scores and Observing subscale scores as the results were statistically significant. Although a small positive correlation was found between engagement and anxiety scores, the results should be interpreted with caution as they were not statistically significant. The results from this study are just a first step to providing accessible nature-based interventions to college students and others seeking relief from stress, anxiety, depression, and a host of mental health concerns rampant in our society. The small decrease in anxiety and increases in mindfulness provide hope that NBMT can help improve mental health and pave the path for researchers to development nature-based mindfulness interventions to improve population health.
Naturally mindful : piloting nature-based mindfulness training for college students with anxiety
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Created on 5/1/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2023
- Keywords
- Anxiety, College Students, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Nature, Nature-Based Mindfulness Training
- Subjects
- Anxiety disorders $x Alternative treatment
- College students $x Mental health
- Nature $x Psychological aspects
- Mindfulness (Psychology)