Effectiveness of Mindfulness based Interventions on Levels of Perceived Stress, Test Anxiety, and Executive Functions in Female High School Students

The objective of the current study was to determine whether Mindfulness-based Interventions had an effect on levels of Perceived Stress, Test Anxiety, and Executive Functions (Inhibition, Working Memory) in female high school students or not. To achieve this aim, ۳۰ students who had high levels of perceived stress and test anxiety were selected by multi cluster sampling, and randomly assigned to experimental or control group. Groups were tested by Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, Sarason’s Test Anxiety Inventory, a computerized Stroop Task, and Wechsler’s digit span subtest, before and after intervention. Using covariance in SPSS۲۱ results were analyzed, and revealed that students who received the intervention, compared to those who did not, showed significant reduction in perceived stress, and test anxiety, along with significant improvements in inhibition, and working memory (p˂۰.۰۵). These findings suggest that, Mindfulness-based Interventions are effective in reducing perceived stress as well as test anxiety, and improving the executive functions in youth.

Keywords:

Executive Functions , Inhibition , Mindfulness , Stress , Test Anxiety , Working Memory