Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

School of Social Work

Advisor/Mentor

Kimberly Stauss

Committee Member

John Gallagher

Second Committee Member

Susan Tyler

Keywords

Anxiety; College; Mental health; Mindfulness; Nature walk

Abstract

Individuals pursuing a degree in higher education face challenges that lead to greater levels of anxiety than that of the general U.S. adult population. This disparity, further heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, presents a need for higher education institutions to search for ways to address this spike in student anxiety and other mental health concerns. This mixed-methods study explored mindful nature walks as a low-cost and easily accessible way for college students to reduce levels of experienced anxiety. Using validated quantitative measures, this study examined the impact of three weekly, consecutive 30-minute mindful nature walks on state and general anxiety levels experienced by a sample of 11 students at the University of Arkansas. Follow-up interviews with five of these participants qualitatively investigated participants’ experiences with the intervention and their feedback for future integration. Quantitative results reveal a statistically significant reduction in state anxiety and a non-significant reduction in general anxiety. Qualitative results further strengthen these findings with participants’ positive experiences with this intervention and present their desire for future integration of mindful nature walks into university programs, educational efforts, and mental health services.

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