Modified Self-Hypnosis Mentoring to Reduce Thesis-Related Anxiety Among Final-Year Students

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Modified Self-Hypnosis training in reducing academic anxiety among final-year university students completing their undergraduate theses. Academic stress during thesis writing frequently triggers varying levels of anxiety that can hinder student progress and overall psychological well-being. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted involving 30 final-year undergraduate students selected through purposive sampling. Anxiety levels were measured before and after the intervention using a standardized anxiety assessment scale, and data were statistically analysed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Prior to the intervention, the majority of respondents experienced moderate (60.0%) and severe (26.7%) levels of anxiety. Following the self-hypnosis training sessions, a marked reduction in anxiety was observed, with 46.7% of participants reporting mild anxiety and 40.0% reaching normal (non-anxious) status. The average anxiety score decreased significantly from 28.43 to 16.10, with a statistical test result of  (). These findings demonstrate that Modified Self-Hypnosis is a highly effective, non-pharmacological intervention for alleviating thesis-related anxiety. Implementing this structured self-help technique provides students with self-regulation skills to manage academic pressure, making it a valuable supportive service for university counseling units to enhance student mental health and academic completion rates. Prior to the intervention, the majority of respondents experienced moderate (60.0%) and severe (26.7%) levels of anxiety. Following the Modified Self-Hypnosis training, 46.7% of participants reported mild anxiety and 40.0% reached a normal (non-anxious) status. The mean anxiety score decreased from 28.43 before the intervention to 16.10 after the intervention. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in anxiety scores (Z = [insert Z value], p < 0.001).