EFFECT OF APP-BASED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION ON PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT COVENANT UNIVERSITY, OTA, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the effect of app-based mindfulness meditation on perceived stress among first-year university students at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria. A two-phase design was used. In the first phase, 200 students completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and 104 students scoring above the mean were identified as eligible for the intervention phase. Sixty-three students consented and were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 32) or a waiting-list control group (n = 31). The experimental group received six sessions of app-based mindfulness meditation delivered through the Calm app over three weeks, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were analysed using descriptive estimates, independent-samples t-tests, and paired-samples t-tests. Results showed no significant baseline gender difference in perceived stress, no significant change in the control group, but a significant reduction in perceived stress in the experimental group (t (31) = 5.13, p<.05). At posttest, the experimental group reported significantly lower perceived stress level than the control group (t (61) = 4.24, p<.05). These findings suggest that app-based mindfulness meditation may help reduce perceived stress among first-year university students. However, larger studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up are needed to confirm effectiveness.

Keywords: App-based mindfulness meditation, first-year university student, perceived stress, intervention study, Nigeria