Effectiveness of Stress Management Training on Academic Optimism and Hope of University Entrance Exam Applicants

Aims: As one of the primary causes of confusion and decline in mental health, stress can be the source of considerable negative effects on student performance. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of stress management training in academic optimism and hope of university entrance exam applicants. Participants Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study based on a pretest-posttest design with a follow-up. The statistical population consisted of all university entrance exam applicants in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2022. Thirty applicants, who met the inclusion criteria, were selected as the sample using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups (15 participants per group). The participants in the treatment group attended eleven 120-minute sessions of cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) training program, whereas those in the control group received no intervention. The Academic Optimism Scale and Adult Hope Scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (analysis of covariance). Findings: The results showed that the stress management training program improved the academic optimism (F=117.24, P=0.001) and hope (F=66.33, P=0.001) of the participants in the treatment group. Conclusions: It can be concluded that stress management training in stressful situations, such as the university entrance exam can boost candidates’ academic optimism and hope.