JOURNAL OF Mental Health Concerns
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): May Edition 2026

The effect of deep breathing exercises on anxiety levels among students approaching school examinations

Sutrisno Sutrisno (Universitas Sahid Surakarta)
Desinta Aldefintania Sasti (Universitas Sahid Surakarta)
Anik Suwarni (Universitas Sahid Surakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 May 2026

Abstract

Background: Anxiety is an emotional response commonly experienced by students before school examinations and may affect physical, cognitive, and emotional aspects. High levels of anxiety can decrease concentration and academic performance. One non-pharmacological method that can be used to reduce anxiety is deep breathing exercise Purpose: To determine the effect of deep breathing exercise on the anxiety level of tenth-grade students to school examinations. Method: A pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest design and a total sampling technique. Anxiety levels were measured using the STAI-S questionnaire before and after the deep breathing exercise intervention. Data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests, both univariately to assess the distribution of anxiety levels and bivariate to analyze the effect of the intervention. Results: There was a decrease in anxiety levels after being given deep breathing exercises with a difference in average values ​​of 39.83. Statistical analysis obtained a P-Value of 0.001 (p < 0.05) indicating that deep breathing exercises had a significant effect on reducing students' anxiety levels before school exams. Conclusion: Deep breathing exercise is effective as an independent intervention to reduce students’ anxiety levels prior to school examinations. Keywords: Anxiety Level; Deep Breathing Exercise; Students, School Examination.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

mhc

Publisher

Subject

Health Professions Nursing Public Health

Description

Jurnal penelitian dibidang kesehatan jiwa meliputi kegiatan promotif, preventif, kuratif dan rehabilitatif pada semua tingkat usia baik secara individu, maupun kelompok rentan. Penelitian kesehatan jiwa susuai tren ...