Authors
Department of Adult Health Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Background and Aim: Students in junior high school, particularly in the third level, are
prone to a variety of stressors. This in turn might lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and
other health‑related problems. There are a very limited number of action research studies to
identify the effect of stress management techniques among students. Therefore, a study was
conducted to assess the effect of a program used in the math class to decrease the student’s
level of stress, anxiety, and depression. Material and Methods: This was an action research
study, which was conducted in region three of the Education and Training Office of Isfahan,
in the year 2012. Fifty‑one students in a junior high school were selected and underwent a
comprehensive stress management program. This program was prepared in collaboration
with the students, their parents, teachers, and managers of the school, and was implemented
approximately during a four‑month period. The student’s stress, anxiety, and depression were
measured before and after the program using the DASS‑21 questionnaire. Findings: The
t‑test identified that the mean scores of stress, anxiety, and depression after the intervention
were significantly lower than the corresponding scores before the program. One‑way analysis
of variance (ANOVA) also showed that the students from the veterans (Janbaz) families
had higher levels of stress compared to their classmates, who belonged to the non‑veteran
families (P < 0.05). Results: Education and implementation of stress management techniques
including cognitive and behavioral interventions along with active and collaborative methods
of learning in the math class might be useful both inside and outside the class, for better
management of stress and other health‑related problems of students.
Keywords
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Source of Support: Nil, Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that
they have no competing interests
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