Overview

The goal of this study is to learn if birdwatching can reduce stress in university students. It will also explore students; experiences with the intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does birdwatching reduce students perceived stress levels? What are the experiences of students who participate in the birdwatching intervention? Why do some students drop out of the study? Researchers will compare a group of students who participate in birdwatching outings to a control group that does not receive the intervention to determine if birdwatching is effective in reducing stress.

Participants will:

Either participate in birdwatching outings or be in a control group with no intervention Complete a perceived stress scale (PSS-10) to measure their stress levels Take part in semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences with the intervention or their reasons for dropping out of the study

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• University students who meet the following inclusion criteria will be included in the study: being 18 years of age or older, being enrolled in any undergraduate program at the Universidad Industrial de Santander, having a score of 10 or higher on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and having access to WhatsApp.

Exclusion Criteria:

• University students with a medical diagnosis of any mental illness under pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatment, with health conditions that prevent them from seeing, hearing, or moving, as well as students who have engaged in birdwatching in the last six months, will not be included.