For Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students, a growing concern is the increased experience of stress throughout their studies, and this stress correlates with attrition, poor academic performance, suicidal ideation, and a decrease in overall well-being. Mindfulness practice as a general umbrella term incorporates many aspects assisting with improving mental health. Unfortunately, options that present in managing stress, such as medication and counseling, can be overwhelming and sometimes far worse than the stress itself. Specifically, Hatha Yoga is a respectable, highly recognized form of stretching and relaxation used to decrease sympathetic response from an individual, thus lowering levels of stress, as the practice incorporates breathing and postural techniques coupled with a great deal of concentration and meditation. To date, no single study has examined the efficacy of Hatha Yoga practice on DPT student's perceived level of stress. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study is to examine the efficacy of Hatha Yoga practice on DPT student's level of perceived stress at a University located in Northeast Pennsylvania. The outcome measure utilized to measure levels of perceived stress is the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) instrument. The research design includes a pretest-posttest set up, initiated prior to, and post, a one hour per week practice of Hatha Yoga, over a period of 6-weeks. Pretest and posttest data from the PSS-10 instrument were analyzed using inferential statistics and SPSS quantitative software to investigate the relationship between DPT students reported stress in association to Hatha Yoga practice. Consistent with previous findings in the literature, when discussing Hatha Yoga's efficacy amongst other healthcare profession majors in lowering stress, the findings of the research provide support that Hatha Yoga practice for one hour per week over a period of six weeks, decreases DPT student's level of perceived stress. Further research requires the use of a larger sample size in order to determine the efficacy of Hatha Yoga practice on perceived stress levels amongst associated gender and varying graduate years within a DPT program.
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Title
Efficacy of Hatha Yoga on Doctor of Physical Therapy Student's Perceived Stress
Creators
Anthony Fiorindo Carusotto
Contributors
Cameron Kiosoglous (Advisor)
Awarding Institution
Drexel University
Degree Awarded
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Publisher
Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of pages
ix, 123 pages
Resource Type
Dissertation
Language
English
Academic Unit
School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University