The Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Guidance Program in Reducing Academic Anxiety and Enhancing Psychological Resilience among Adolescents

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based guidance program in reducing academic anxiety and enhancing psychological resilience among Iraqi adolescents. The study is grounded in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness theory and Martin & Marsh's Academic Buoyancy model. The study population consisted of high school students in Baghdad, and a sample of 30 students was randomly selected and divided into two groups: experimental and control. The guidance program was applied to the experimental group, while the control group continued their regular academic routine. The study employed a set of standardized psychological measures: the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Academic Resilience Scale, and the Psychological Stress Scale. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations), ANCOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis. Results indicated statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the post-test scores of mindfulness, academic anxiety, academic resilience, and psychological stress, favoring the experimental group. These findings suggest that the mindfulness-based guidance program was effective in enhancing mindfulness, reducing academic anxiety, and improving psychological resilience among the participants.