“One of the Most Precious Experiences I Have Had as a Teacher!” Embodied Mindfulness and Compassion Nurture Addiction-Preventive and Pro-Democratic Life Skills and Relationships Between Teachers and Students - A Phenomenological Exploration
Nils Altner, Jasmin Friedrich
OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine November 14, 2022 DOI: 10.21926/obm.icm.2204049 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 59 |
| Population | Teachers (N = 59) and their students (3,250 over two years) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based and compassion-based training |
| Duration | 48-hour training; two years of student involvement |
| Topics | Addiction Meditation |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | The qualitative evaluation suggests that teachers' potentially addiction-preventive qualities and life skills, including self-compassion, self-regulation, and connectedness, were strengthened, and that all teachers subsequently included mindfulness- and compassion-based methods in their teaching. Student feedback indicated these teacher characteristics had a life-skill-enhancing effect on the children. |
Abstract
In this study, we present the results of a 48-hour mindfulness-based and compassion-based training for teachers (N = 59). This study included 3,250 students in two years. We strengthened the resources of teachers and students for health, especially for preventing addiction. The didactic approach was based on the concepts of embodiment and resonance. We first trained teachers and then encouraged them to teach students in the classroom. Qualitative data were collected on the presence of teachers, relationship building, teaching performance, and teaching content, as well as, on the effects on the students. The results of the qualitative evaluation suggest that potentially addiction-preventive qualities and life skills of the teachers, such as (self)compassion, self-regulation, and connectedness, were strengthened. After training, all teachers included mindfulness-based and compassion-based methods in their teaching. Feedback from the students indicated that these characteristics of the teachers had a life-skill-enhancing effect on the children. We discuss these results in the context of personality development, the prevention of addiction, and cultural changes for developing a healthier, more participatory, and democratic society.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Participants who completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study | 2018 | Qualitative follow-up study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis | n = 12 |
| Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Therapists, expert researchers, and individuals who underwent ayahuasca-assisted... | 2014 | Qualitative study | n = 29 |
| Exploring ayahuasca‐assisted therapy for addiction: A qualitative analysis of preliminary findings among an Indigenous community in Canada Indigenous adults in Canada who participated in ayahuasca-assisted ceremonial retreats | 2019 | Qualitative study | n = 11 |
| Self-reported negative outcomes of psilocybin users: A quantitative textual analysis Users who self-reported psilocybin experiences on an online platform | 2020 | Qualitative study | n = 346 |
| Reports of self-compassion and affect regulation in psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. non-Hispanic White cisgender men and women with alcohol use disorder | 2023 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Promoting prosocial behavior and self-regulatory skills in preschool children through a mindfulness-based kindness curriculum. Developmental Psychology November 10, 2014
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- Self-Regulation Without Force: Can Awareness Leverage Reward to Drive Behavior Change? Perspectives on Psychological Science August 28, 2020
- Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness intervention for urban youth. Journal of abnormal child psychology October 1, 2010
- Describing one’s subjective experience in the second person: An interview method for the science of consciousness November 29, 2006