"It's a Really Big Privilege to be Able to Take Care of Ourselves": A Mixed Methods Study of Integrating Mindfulness for Mental Health into a Job Training Program for Low-Income Emerging Adults.
Dorothy T Chiu, Forest Fein, Ariana Thompson-Lastad, Wendy Hartogensis, Stephanie N Christian-Afflu, Eve Ekman, Maria T Chao
Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2025 DOI: 10.1177/27536130251347913 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed methods quasi-experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 212 |
| Population | Diverse, low-income emerging adults in a job training program |
| Intervention | Mindfulness elective |
| Duration | 12-week or 6-week elective |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Health equity Job performance Mind-body interventions Self care Holistic health Integrative health Well-being practices Youth well-being Mental health Self-care Stress reduction Youth development Emerging adults Underserved youth Social justice Health disparities Community health Economic empowerment Workforce development |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Integrating a mindfulness elective into job training for underserved emerging adults improved mindfulness, life satisfaction, self-compassion, and connectedness while reducing stress, supporting mental health equity. |
Abstract
Mental health of emerging, young adults remains a concern, particularly in lower income groups who receive less mental healthcare. Mindfulness-based interventions yield mental health benefits and have been widely applied, though reach and accessibility remain limited. Poor mental health can negatively impact job performance, physical health, and life trajectories. A mindfulness elective was offered through a year-long job training program serving diverse, low-income emerging adults. We investigated relevant outcomes in a mixed methods quasi-experimental study. Pre-/post-elective surveys assessed mindfulness, mental health, and well-being using established measures. We analyzed within- and between-group differences comparing mindfulness vs control (Year 1) and 12-week vs 6-week (Year 2) participants using t-tests and mixed effects models. Focus groups were conducted and analyzed using codebook thematic analysis. Participants (n = 212) provided evaluation data. Over two years, 195 participated in a mindfulness elective (mean age = 22.3 [SD = 2.7] years; 47.2% female, 94.4% from racially and ethnically minoritized groups). In Year 1, mindfulness participants exhibited many pre-to-post improvements, including greater mindfulness (+8.4, 95% CI: 5.8, 11.0) and life satisfaction (+10.3, 95% CI: 7.0, 13.6) and lower stress (-8.2, 95% CI: -10.4, -5.9); no changes in controls were observed. In Year 2, mindfulness participants improved in mindfulness and life satisfaction plus self-compassion (12-week: +0.6, 95% CI: 0.4, 0.8; 6-week: +0.4, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.6), connectedness (12-week: +0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 0.9; 6-week: +0.4, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.6), and mind-body connection (12-week: +1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.4; 6-week: +0.6, 95% CI: 0.0, 1.3). Additional benefits were observed (eg, in stress, focus, emotional reactivity) but significance varied by elective length. Focus groups were generally concordant with quantitative results. Respondents described how the elective enabled self-care, supporting health and professional development. Integrating mindfulness into job training for underserved emerging adults was well-received, effective, and supports mental health equity.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
- Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Self-Compassion and Psychological Health Among Young Adults With a History of Childhood Maltreatment Frontiers in Psychology October 23, 2019
- Mindfulness-Based and Mindfulness-Informed Interventions at the Workplace: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis of RCTs. Mindfulness May 11, 2023
- Perspectives of Indigenous University Students in Canada on Mindfulness-Based Interventions and their Adaptation to Reduce Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Mindfulness February 21, 2023
and 10 more in the library