Mindfulness and Life Experiences as Predictors of Perceived Stress in Speech Language Pathologists

Date of Conferral

10-26-2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Silvia Bigatti

Abstract

Speech language pathologists (SLPs) struggle with significant levels of stress during training, which impacts their academic success and well-being and may be carried into the workforce. Many institutions are implementing mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) to help students manage their stress because research shows that MBPs are moderately effective in helping reduce stress. The purpose of this study, grounded by the transtheoretical theory of stress and coping and the mindfulness to meaning theory, was to determine if facets of mindfulness and the experience of positive or negative life experiences predict levels of perceived stress in SLPs who participated in a mindfulness training. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey of all SLP graduates of a private institution (N = 270) who agreed to participate in the study (n = 33). The survey assessed facets of mindfulness with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, stress with the Perceived Stress Scale, and positive and negative life experiences with the Life Experiences Survey. Data were analyzed with linear regression with the facets of mindfulness and life experiences as the predictors and perceived stress as the outcome. Facets of mindfulness and positive and negative life experiences were found to predict perceived stress, while acting with awareness was the only facet to be predictive of stress in all models. The findings should be interpreted with caution due to low power and are not generalizable beyond this sample; however, mindfulness training emphasizing acting with awareness and having a nonjudgmental attitude may promote positive change by decreasing academic stress in students and burnout in health care professionals.

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