The Influences of the Mindfulness Ambassador Program on Graduate Students
Abstract
The two-fold primary purpose of this pilot study was to: (1) explore, qualitatively, the influence of the Mindfulness Ambassador Program (MAP) on graduate students’ experiences of stress and their relationship with themselves and meaningful others; and (2) investigate, quantitatively, if participation in the MAP elicited changes in graduate students’ levels of stress, self-awareness, interpersonal skills, and/or social connectedness. The secondary purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of graduate students’ satisfaction with the MAP. This one-group mixed-method study utilized a brief demographic questionnaire, open-ended questions, semi-structured interviews, two MAP-specific program questionnaires, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Situational Self-Awareness Scale, and the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised. Data analysis involved thematic analysis, computing descriptive statistics, and paired t-tests. Participants reported various stress-related, intrapersonal, and interpersonal benefits from their MAP participation, and they found the MAP highly satisfactory. This information can be used to support future well-being programming tailored to graduate students.