Skip to content

Development of Mindfulness Based Solution Focused Brief Therapy for Children (MBSFT-C): An International Delphi Study

Mathew Abin, S. Rajan, Anekal C. Amaresha

International Journal of Systemic Therapy July 2, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/2692398x.2025.2526899 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Delphi survey Peer reviewed
Population Experts participating in a two-round Delphi survey
Measures 10-point visual analog scale
Topics Meditation
Key findings The authors report that MBSFT-C, a manualized therapy integrating mindfulness and Solution-focused brief therapy, was developed and validated through a two-round Delphi process. Its two components, Mindful Solution Focused Engagement and Family Mindfulness Skills, reached 70% expert agreement, with mean ratings between 7.50 and 8.00 out of 10 on a visual analog scale.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Internalizing and externalizing behavioral issues among children tend to appear together and are often interrelated. A combination of Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) and Mindfulness is theoretically promising in reducing the co-occurrences of internalizing and externalizing issues. In this study, we developed and validated MBSFT-C, which addresses internalizing and externalizing behavioral issues. Preliminary components of MBSFT-C were developed, integrating the philosophies of Mindfulness and Solution Focused Brief Therapy. We used a two-round Delphi survey to finalize and validate these components. In the first round, the experts provided a free-text review of the initial components of MBSFT-C, which were then analyzed thematically using QDA Miner v2.0.9 software. In the second round, the experts evaluated the final components of MBSFT-C and reached a consensus using a 10-point visual analog scale. Thematic analysis of review 1 revealed three themes, Validation, Additions, and Modifications, based on which the final draft of MBSFT-C was developed. The final draft included two major components, Mindful Solution Focused Engagement and Family Mindfulness Skills. All the components of MBSFT-C achieved international expert consensus with a 70% agreement in review 2. The mean score for components by the experts ranged between 7.50 and 8.00 out of 10 on a visual analog scale, with a standard deviation ranging from 1.94 to 2.95. MBSFT-C will provide clinicians with a well suited, empirically developed, manualized comprehensive therapy that meets the special requirements of children.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups 2008 Cross-sectional study
Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants 2007 Observational cross-sectional n = 27
Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents 2011 Cross-sectional validation study n = 1,413
Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators 2012 Cross-sectional study n = 152
Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates 2008 Cross-sectional, correlational

Citations in the library

Cites 5

Related reading

Explore topics

Meditation Philosophy of mind