The relaxation zone: Initial analysis of stress management services for university students

Abstract

Objective: We evaluated the Relaxation Zone (RZ), a room with “relaxation stations” designed to reduce stress in college students. Participants: Participants (N = 994) were enrolled during the 2019 calendar year. Most participants were female (62.8%), freshmen (59.3%), and African American (44.9%). Methods: Students visiting the RZ completed a brief pretest and posttest that measured self-reported stress. Results: Paired sample t-tests across class groups (e.g., freshman, sophomore) revealed a significant reduction in stress from pretest (M_pooled = 6.0) to posttest (M_pooled = 4.5), with medium to large effect sizes (Cohen’s d ranging from 0.53 to 0.88) during their first visit. For students having at least two visits (N = 348), an exploratory dose-response analysis demonstrated that an optimal dose of self-guided relaxation ranged from two to eight visits. Conclusions: These findings provide initial evidence that programs like the RZ can reduce student stress within a few visits.

Keywords:

• Stress
• stress management
• counseling centers
• college students
• dose-response

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the practicum students, psychology interns, and staff who worked at the front desk of the Relaxation Zone during the 2019 calendar year.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and did not require approval from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Memphis.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.