RESUMEN
Objective: College students experience unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety, impacting their desire to perform well and live a balanced life. Mindfulness-based practices along with art therapy techniques have been demonstrated to improve psychological and physiological impacts of stress and anxiety among college students. Participants: 12 undergraduate college students participated in pre and post-test interviews following their engagement in either mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) or a neutral clay task (NCT) using a 5-week online format. Methods: Descriptive phenomenology and artful inquiry were used to elicit participants' perspectives. Results: Both MBAT and NCT elicited relaxing and calming effects, but MBAT provided more proactive and direct benefits, with participants reporting that they could identify and move through stressors. While NCT participants described their experience as fun or playful. Conclusions: These findings offer notable support for implementing online and accessible mental health strategies such as MBAT and NCT into college settings.
Asunto(s)
Arteterapia , Atención Plena , Arteterapia/métodos , Arcilla , Humanos , Salud Mental , Atención Plena/métodos , Estrés Psicológico/psicología , Estrés Psicológico/terapia , Estudiantes/psicología , UniversidadesRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: College students in Generation Z are among the most stressed of our time. Previous research suggests that current interventions on university campuses are primarily for students in crises, but supportive services like psychoeducation to introduce coping skills are scant. Interventions that take both financial and time pressures into account are needed to address the mental health challenges faced by students. This study is designed to determine the unique role of the arts as a proactive mental health strategy for college students. METHODS: A sample of college students in Generation Z (n = 120) will be recruited. Participants will be assigned to Arts-only, mindfulness-only, mindfulness-based art interventions or a non-intervention control group. These interventions will be delivered using a minimal contact, web-based approach. Participants will be screened for eligibility requirements prior to the inclusion in the Time 1 assessment though an online survey. Once enrolled, participants will complete the Time 1 assessment, followed by the intervention. Each assessment will consist of psychological and physiological measures. The MBAT, NCT and MO groups will complete a brief self-care task twice a week for 5 weeks. Upon completion of the assigned intervention, participants will complete a Time 2 assessment and participate in the Trier Social Stress Test. Six weeks post-intervention, participants will complete the final assessment to assess the longevity of effects of the intervention. DISCUSSION: This study will clarify the effects of Mindfulness-based Art Therapy on several biometric and physiological markers above and beyond isolated art therapy or mindfulness interventions. Qualitative data in the form of transcribed exit interviews will be analyzed to characterize the unique needs of Generation Z students, along with level of engagement, intervention acceptance and satisfaction. The results will identify the efficacy of a low-cost and easily accessible mental health intervention targeting college students experiencing stress and anxiety. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04834765, 05/17/21. Retrospectively registered.
Asunto(s)
Arteterapia , Atención Plena , Ansiedad/prevención & control , Humanos , Estudiantes , UniversidadesRESUMEN
Stress and anxiety pose a threat to college students' academic performance as well as their long-term mental and physical health, but the time constraints of a rigorous academic schedule make it difficult to offer even brief mental health interventions. A convenience sample of full-time students at a public university was recruited for a 5-week study conducted mostly using an online platform. Participants were randomly assigned to a Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy (MBAT) intervention or a Neutral Clay Task (NCT). Anxiety, perceived stress, and salivary cortisol outcomes were measured. A total of n = 77 participants completed the study. The MBAT group experienced significant reductions in anxiety and perceived stress compared to the NCT group. Significant reductions in salivary cortisol were observed, but only time could be identified as a confounding variable. Art making alone is not enough to induce significant positive responses, but this study suggests MBAT can, and that an online intervention could offer feasible and accessible mental health services on college campuses. Further refinement of biological data collection and analysis is needed to determine what the mediating effects MBAT could have, if any, at the molecular level.