University of Twente Student Theses
Exploring the Feasibility of Colouring Mandalas Targeting the Stress and Depression Levels of University Students
Michalski, Vanessa (2023) Exploring the Feasibility of Colouring Mandalas Targeting the Stress and Depression Levels of University Students.
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| Abstract: | University students frequently experience high levels of stress and depression, due to academic-related demands. Consequently, students' mental health and success of their academic careers are at risk. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of an art- intervention, conducted twice a week for three weeks overall. Additionally, it was investigated, whether students perceive a significant reduction in stress and depression levels. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 10 university students (N=10, Mage = 21.8 years, 70% female, 20% male, and 10% nonbinary). Stress and depression levels were measured by utilizing the Patient-Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) before and after the intervention. The post-measure further assessed feasibility aspects. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed no significant changes in response to the intervention, neither on students’ depression levels (z = -0.71, p = 0.47) nor their stress levels (z = -0.95, p = 0.34). However, the majority of participants perceived a relief in stress and an increase in relaxation. Overall, the intervention was labelled as feasible. The study provided insight into the interventions’ benefits and areas of improvement. Recommendations for future research include implementing a control condition to account for academic stressors, exploring alternative creative activities to pre-drawn mandalas, and conducting larger-scale studies to increase the probability of obtaining effective results. Finally, the probability of achieving an effective result on certain variables in a bigger sample is higher. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95704 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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