Volume 9, Issue 3, March 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

A Correlational Study on the Trait Mindfulness and

Perceived Stress of Secondary School Students
Dr. Chitra S.
Assistant Professor
Sree Narayana Training College Nedunganda

Abstract:- The development of technology has caused the academic performances of pen and paper tests alone, not
world change a lot at a lightning-fast pace. It is expected heading to the intellectual, emotional, mental and social
of people to achieve more at a younger age, "settled by needs of the children, the overall atmosphere of the school
30." (Vasudevan & Reddy, 2019). People experience a will be challenging overwhelming and stressful.
great deal of stress as a result, particularly in early years
of adulthood. Stress and the perception of stress are It is common knowledge that different persons have
typically linked to poor mental health conditions. different reactions to and perceptions of stress. Some people
Literature suggests that coping resources have a could get very irritated and that would impede their work, but
buffering influence on the negative consequences of stress others would thrive on it. Though it is well established that
on mental health. They help in managing the demands how one interprets an event creates the impression that it is
created by stressful events in a person’s life. stressful, mindfulness, which promotes a nonjudgmental
awareness, is gaining popularity as a stress-reduction
One such coping resource is the trait of mindfulness. strategy.
The present study was conducted to explore the
relationship between perceived stress and trait In India, majority of the students suffer from mental
mindfulness among secondary school students. Thirty- health issues due to the stress created by exam-related
five secondary school students from different aspects. Stress and perceived stress are associated with
Government Higher Secondary schools were selected and adverse mental health outcomes. Coping resources have been
computed measures of perceived stress and trait proved by literature to have buffering effects on the impact of
mindfulness. The results showed a negative correlation stress on mental health. One such coping resource is the trait
between perceived stress and trait mindfulness among mindfulness. Mindfulness has captured the attention of
secondary school students. It was found that the students educators as a significant, yet traditionally overlooked,
have a moderate level of perceived stress and a low trait capacity that could support both cognitive and social–
of mindfulness. The findings of the study have significant emotional abilities in students, and, in turn, enhance academic
implications for educational settings. The findings can be and behavioural outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to
utilized to improve and facilitate the well-being of the understand how secondary school students experience stress
school students. The results also pointed to the and how trait mindfulness, one coping mechanism, allows
significance of including mindfulness-based techniques them to manage it.
and skill development strategies in academic planning.
Student-focused stress management programmes can be II. NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
introduced to maintain a healthy mindset in our students.
In the past, India had its own distinct educational system
Keywords:- Perceived Stress, Mindfulness Trait. with a well-established structure that sought to assist students
in developing and adapting their bodies, minds, and souls. It
I. INTRODUCTION is not merely acquiring information, its emphasis was in the
development of concentration, memory, reasoning,
The introduction of technology prompted the world to adjustment, emotional development etc. This paved the way
move quickly. It is expected of people to accomplish more at for the inculcation of high moral values and the nurturing of
a younger age, "settled by 30". People experience a great deal overall well-being. In contrary, now a days the society has
of pressure as a result, particularly in their early adult years. witnessed a growing portion of school students experiencing
This stress is experienced as early as their school time itself a festoon of social, emotional and behavioural problems that
and affect both the mind and body. interfere with their personal and interpersonal relationships,
academic success and their potential to become talented and
Every classroom has its own story to tell. A child in the productive citizens.
Indian context in the school atmosphere is experiencing a
wide range of situations where he or she may be happy, As per the Survey on Mental Health and Wellbeing of
maybe sad, stressed or may be motivated or moulded. Most School Students published by NCERT in 2022, 81 percent of
of the times it is seen that the need of the child has never been 3,79,842 students who participated in the survey expressed
understood or never been considered. In general, we can see that their main stressors were studies, exams, and results. It is
that once the school atmosphere is largely concentrated on quite evident that stress and anxiety are significant concerns

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Volume 9, Issue 3, March 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
among school students in India, highlighting the need for III. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
increasing wellness and mental health support programmes in
educational contexts. Stress is commonly experienced by students and can
negatively affect their overall wellbeing. The transitional
The crushing weight of India’s education system has left nature to adolescence, the pressure to succeed academically,
students with more than just textbooks to carry. A survey and the adjustment of new social settings etc are all sources
conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization of perceived stress. The interaction and accumulation of these
found that 10% of school-going children in India suffer from stress creators may affect a student’s ability to cope with his
mental health issues, with exam-related stress being a major academic and personal environment. As a result of this stress
contributor. Often, students are evaluated solely on their health related issues also have begun to occur at an early age.
performance in examinations, which can cause significant Thus, it is imperative to study the levels of perceived stress
anxiety and pressure. Additionally, the emphasis on rote that secondary school students experience. The present study
learning, in which students are typically expected to deals with assessing two variables-perceived stress and trait
memorize large amounts of information without fully mindfulness-among secondary school students in Kerala.
understanding the concepts behind them, can lead to a Hence the study is stated as “A Correlational Study on the
decrease in creativity and critical thinking. Trait Mindfulness and Perceived Stress of Secondary
School Students”.
Stress is commonly experienced by students and can
negatively affect their daily activities, overall health and IV. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
wellbeing. The interaction and accumulation of these
stressors can affect a student’s ability to cope with his A. Perceived Stress
surroundings. Due to the increase in demands and Perceived stress is the feelings or thoughts that an
expectations, immense pressure is experienced by school individual has about how much stress they are under at a
students to accomplish and achieve early in life. As a result given point in time or over a given time period.
of this stress health related issues also have begun to occur at
an early age. Thus, it is essential to study the levels of stress  Operational Definition:
perceived by secondary school students. In recent days, In this study, perceived stress refers to the degree to
mindfulness has been identified as beneficial to academic which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful by
performance and well-being. senior secondary school students.

This implies that, if students are learnt to be fully B. Trait Mindfulness:

present, they can increase the quality of their learning It refers to the innate capacity of paying and maintaining
performance by being more focused and become capable to attention to present-moment experiences with an open and
deal with the stressful academic situation. Mindfulness nonjudgmental attitude (Brown & Ryan, 2003).
enables the adults to approach the learning situations from a
novel perspective. Further, it can be stated that mindfulness  Operational Definition:
as a cognitive state, can add to one's own knowledge and In this study, trait mindfulness refers to students’
increase the levels of emotional stability and productivity. tendency toward mindfulness or mindlessness i.e., frequency
When students use mindfulness in their learning processes, of mindful states over time.
they utilize creativity, experience cognitive flexibility and
can better use information to enhance memory for V. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
instructional retention. As a result, students tend to have high
optimism, positive state, and feel more in control of their The objectives of the study include:
lives.
 To assess the level of perceived stress among secondary
Majority of the recent research focuses on the effects of school students.
temporarily induced mindfulness or state mindfulness in  To assess level of trait mindfulness among secondary
individuals. There is no significant amount of literature school students.
available in the influences of trait mindfulness.  To identify the relationship between perceived stress and
trait mindfulness among secondary school students
The present study will provide an insight into the
amount of stress perceived by secondary school students. The VI. HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY
results of the study will also help to understand the
relationship between trait mindfulness and perceived stress The hypothesis of the study is:
and which aspect of mindfulness should be focused upon to
reduce the levels of stress that are perceived by the secondary  There exists a significant relationship between perceived
school students. It will add to the literature on the amount of stress and trait mindfulness among secondary school
research performed on trait mindfulness in India. students.

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Volume 9, Issue 3, March 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
VII. METHODOLOGY D. Measures Adopted for Calculation of Data
The interrelationship between perceived stress and trait
A. Method mindfulness was identified by applying Pearson’s Product
In this study, survey method is adopted. The study used Moment Correlation.
different tools for collecting required primary data.
E. Procedure
B. Sample The participants were given the informed consent form,
The sample of the study comprised secondary school and a positive rapport was built. The purpose of the personal
students studying in three Government Higher Secondary data sheet was to gather demographic data. The respondents
Schools. The total number of samples is 35. They were were then given rating scales to indicate their answers in
standard VIII and standard IX students. order to measure their perceived stress and level of
mindfulness. After collecting the data, calculations were done
C. Tools to find out the correlation between the variables.
 Personal Data Sheet
 Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (Adopted) VIII. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
 Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
(Adopted) The results and discussion of the data collected using
different tools are given below:

The data were consolidated and scored.

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics of Perceived Stress and Trait Mindfulness among Secondary School Students
Variable Mean SD Minimum Score Obtained Maximum Score Obtained
Perceived Stress 19.16 4.68 7 27
Mindfullness Trait 3.06 0.73 4.1 2

Table 1 showed that the mean score obtained for Table 2: Relationship between Perceived Stress and Trait
perceived stress is 19.16 which means that it falls under Mindfulness among Secondary School Students
moderate stress level. This indicated that the students have Variables Pearson Correlation
poorer health practices, such as sleeping fewer hours, Coefficient
skipping breakfast etc. It can have a negative impact on the Perceived stress
student’s learning ability. It can result in mental and physical Mindfulness -0.86
problems, diminish a student's sense of worth and affect trait
his/her academic achievement. Perceptions of stress
contribute to an increase in negative emotional experiences Table 2 showed the relationship between perceived
and a decrease in positive emotional experiences and a stress and mindfulness trait among secondary school
decrease in life satisfaction and psychological well-being students. The result from the table showed that the Pearson
which in turn lead to depression and conflicts. Students correlation coefficient (r value) obtained is -0.86. The result
who perceive their lives as more stressful also report greater indicated that there is a negative correlation between
adjustment problems as well as experience shorter sleep. This perceived stress and mindfulness trait. Hence the hypothesis
indicates low level of self confidence also. Empirical studies “There exists a significant relationship between perceived
have shown that the higher level of stress perception will stress and trait mindfulness among secondary school
result in increased depression and irritations in life. students” is rejected. This revealed that students who have
high perceived stress are having low mindfulness trait. This
The mean score obtained for mindfulness trait is 3.06 finding is supported by the results of the study conducted by
which falls under low level. A low level of mindfulness Gupta & Panshikar (2023). and Vonderheyde &
increase depression and anxiety, resulting in a high level of Marie(2017).
emotional imbalance and adjustment problems. The
respondents have low coping skills as well decreased In the current study, respondents' lack of attention to
creativity. They are often distracted with anxious thoughts stress indicators has resulted under an assessment of stress as
and adopt avoidance behaviours and experience decreased moderate which may subsequently lower health and well-
enjoyment whilst learning. being.It showed that the respondents can adopt
maladaptive behaviour in the context of stressful events.
The low level of mindfulness trait showed that the They may report low well-being, negative mood and high
respondents have lower emotional regulation abilities. They levels of anxiety, stress because of low mindfulness trait .The
are less aware of thoughts in the present moment, and this negative correlation between perceived stress and
decreased self- awareness can lead to lower processing and mindfulness trait is also a risk factor for poor educational
control over one's responses to surroundings or achievement and health among the respondents. The findings
circumstances. The value suggested that the respondents lack of the present study suggests that the low mindfulness trait of
focus and attention in their daily activities too This pointed respondents can intensify the negative effects of their
towards a low level of self-insights in them. perceived stress level.

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Volume 9, Issue 3, March 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
The individual differences in the basic qualities of IX. TENABILITYOF THE HYPOTHESIS
mindfulness of the respondents can also relate to differences
in perception and appraisal of stress. Individuals with greater Based on the results, the tenability of the hypothesis
dispositional mindfulness experience better health because framed for the study is validated.
mindfulness protects them from the negative effects of
stressful experiences. As such, in the present study, the Table 3: Hypothesis Acceptance or Rejection
respondent’s low mindfulness trait is the reason that they are Hypothesis Accepted/Rejected
not free from situations that are appraised as stressful, and as There exists a significant Rejected
a result they can experience decreased health and relationship between perceived
well-being in the face of such contexts. This is stress and trait mindfulness
evident from the respondent’s’ answers to statements such as among secondary school students.
“I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in
the present”, “I do jobs or tasks automatically, without Since the Pearson’s correlation coefficient was found to
being aware of what I'm doing.”, “I find myself doing things be -0.86 which indicated a negative correlation between the
without paying attention” in which majority of them have perceived stress and trait mindfulness among the secondary
agreed to these statements. Similarly, majority have agreed school students, the hypothesis “There exists a significant
that very often they were “unable to control the important relationship between perceived stress and trait mindfulness
things in their life”, “felt nervous and stressed”, “felt that you among secondary school students” is rejected.
were on top of things” etc.
X. MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
The low trait mindfulness of the respondent can affect
their psychological health. It can lower their subjective well- A. The Results of the Study Revealed that the Respondents
being, life satisfaction and compassion They can have have a Moderate Level of Perceived Stress
lowered coping mechanisms to deal with stressful situations. The moderate perceived stress level means that the
They are less likely to engage in healthy coping strategies like respondents often have thoughts about what could happen
acceptance and more likely to engage in unhealthy strategies and decide that awful things are inevitable. This worrying
like rumination. These factors have been validated by several about what could be, can cause physical, mental, and
studies. emotional problems in them. High stress perceptions often
lead to a range of mental health issues. Some of these are
The result of the study revealed that there exists a direct effects of stress, and some are unhealthy coping
negative correlation between perceived stress and mechanisms. Perceptions of stress contribute to an increase
mindfulness among secondary school students. This showed in negative emotional experiences and conflicts, a decrease in
that as mindfulness trait decreased, the perceived stress positive emotional experiences and a decrease in life
increased among the respondents. The mean scores of the two satisfaction and psychological well-being which in turn leads
variables indicated that the respondents have low to problematic social experiences or depression.
mindfulness trait and moderate level of perceived stress.
B. The Results of the Study Indicated that the Respondents
In the present study, the low mindfulness trait is have a Low Level of Mindfulness Trait
associated with the moderate perceived stress of the Usually trait mindfulness aids in controlling negative
respondents. The respondents have decreased awareness of thoughts, emotional regulation and curbing unhealthy habits
stress symptoms and reduced ability to detect or appraise the and behaviour patterns. Thus, in the present study, a low
situation as non-stressful in most cases. This, in turn, mindfulness trait results in decreasing the respondents’ well-
increased their perceived stress level. The low mindfulness being, and increasing stress and anxiety.It prevents the
trait can reduce their ability to handle with a set of respondents in dealing effectively with unpleasant
situations/circumstances appraised as stressful, which results feelings and leads to a low level of focus and attention in their
in adverse mental health outcomes. Trait mindfulness act as a life.As a result, the respondents will be preoccupied with
buffer to reduce the tendency to experience perceived stress. stressors as well. Lower mindfulness is associated with the
practice of less healthy coping skills, like acceptance, and
Different individuals interpret the life situations in more use of unhealthy strategies like substance use. Lack of
different ways, some might appraise it as stressful while source of support in life, being unprotective in nature, family
others may not. Thus, individual differences in other conflicts and other personality trait and individual differences
personality traits and perceptions of stress have also can inhibit the development of a person’s level of trait
influenced the results. The result, thus, indicated that trait mindfulness.
mindfulness is a beneficial factor in decreasing perceived
stress among the students.

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Volume 9, Issue 3, March 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
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