Can the Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) Program Be Provided Online? Voices from the Youth.
Nicholas Chadi, Elli Weisbaum, Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise, Sara Ahola Kohut, Christine Viner, Miriam E. Kaufman, Jake Locke, Dzung X Vo
Children August 28, 2018 DOI: 10.3390/children5090115 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study (nested within a mixed-method randomized trial) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Adolescents aged 13 to 18 with a chronic illness, recruited at a tertiary pediatric hospital in Toronto, Canada |
| Intervention | Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) program |
| Duration | Eight-week program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Adolescents Chronic illness Ehealth |
| Key findings | Participants in both the online and in-person groups described four themes: creation of a safe space, fostering peer support and connection, integration of mindfulness skills into daily life, and improved well-being through applying mindfulness. The authors suggest eHealth delivery of an adapted mindfulness-based intervention may be an acceptable and feasible mode of delivery for adolescents with chronic illnesses. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to improve health and well-being in adolescents with chronic illnesses. Because they are most often delivered in person in a group setting, there are several barriers that limit access to MBIs for youth with limited mobility or who cannot access in-person MBIs in their communities. The objective of this study was to determine if eHealth is a viable platform to increase accessibility to MBIs for teens with chronic illnesses. This study reports the qualitative results of a mixed method randomized trial describing the experience of the Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) program, an eight-week MBI, delivered either in person or via eHealth. Participants were adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 with a chronic illness recruited at a tertiary pediatric hospital in Toronto, Canada. Individual semi-structured post-participation audio-video interviews were conducted by a research assistant. A multiple-pass inductive process was used to review interview transcripts and interpret emergent themes from the participants' lived experiences. Fifteen participants (8 online and 7 in person) completed post-participation interviews. Four distinct themes emerged from participants in both groups: Creation of a safe space, fostering peer support and connection, integration of mindfulness skills into daily life, and improved well-being through the application of mindfulness. Direct quotations representative of those four themes are reported. Results from this study suggest that eHealth delivery of an adapted MBI for adolescents with chronic illnesses may be an acceptable and feasible mode of delivery for MBIs in this population. EHealth should be considered in future studies of MBIs for adolescents with chronic illnesses as a promising avenue to increase access to MBIs for youth who might not be able to access in-person programs.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Exploring the Feasibility and Acceptability of Compassion and Mindfulness Training for Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Caregivers. Acta Paediatrica September 28, 2026
- Delivering a Modified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Intervention for Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Adolescents and Young Adults: Assessing Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effectiveness. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry July 1, 2026
- A Systematic Review of the Adherence to Home-Practice Meditation Exercises in Patients with Chronic Pain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health March 2, 2023
- The Development, Implementation, and Preliminary Outcomes of a 5-Minute Mindfulness Program to Improve Well-Being and Increase Connection Across a University Campus. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science November 10, 2021
- The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19 Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine May 14, 2020
and 1 more in the library
Cites 20
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for the treatment of adolescent psychiatric outpatients: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2009
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- Assessing adolescent mindfulness: Validation of an Adapted Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in adolescent normative and psychiatric populations. Psychological Assessment 2011
and 15 more in the library