The Effects of Diaphragmatic Breathing on College Student Stress

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to determine the effect of diaphragmatic breathing on college students' self-perception of life stressors. A pre-test/post-test design was used in this study. Participants rated their stress on a Liekert-like scale before and after a five minute diaphragmatic breathing intervention. ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. Participants were asked to evaluate their stress in the following categories: physical, psychological, socio-cultural, spiritual, and overall stress categories. The findings of this study suggested that diaphragmatic breathing for five minutes is effective in reducing perceived stress with a p-value of p < 0.00 for each category. Implications of this study include students’ reducing their acute stress by using five minutes of diaphragmatic breathing.