Parenting-focused mindfulness intervention reduces stress and improves parenting in highly-stressed mothers of adolescents.
Caitlin C Turpyn, Sarah Fischer, Alexandra Martelli, Corynne E Ross, Richard N Leichtweis, Adam Bryant Miller, Rajita Sinha
Mindfulness February 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-018-1026-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 83 |
| Population | Highly stressed mothers of 12- to 17-year-old adolescents |
| Interventions | Parenting Mindfully (PM) intervention Parent Education (PE) control |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Adolescence Family-based intervention Parenting |
| Key findings | The Parenting Mindfully intervention, compared with a minimal Parent Education control, increased mothers' mindfulness, reduced parenting stress in two domains, increased mindful parenting related to emotional awareness, and improved parent-adolescent relationship quality, with medium to large effect sizes. For mothers of girls but not boys, it also decreased negative parenting behavior and negative emotional responses in a laboratory interaction task. |
Abstract
Parent stress has been associated with negative outcomes for youth and may be particularly high during adolescence. Mindfulness interventions have the potential to reduce parent stress and to improve parenting behavior and parent-child relationship quality. The present randomized controlled study examined effects of a parenting-focused mindfulness intervention, the Parenting Mindfully (PM) intervention, for highly stressed parents of adolescents. Eighty three mothers of 12-17 year olds reporting high stress were randomly assigned to the PM intervention or to a minimal-intervention Parent Education (PE) control group. At pre- and post-intervention, mothers reported on their mindfulness, stress, parenting stress, mindful parenting, and parent-adolescent relationship quality. At pre- and post-intervention, mothers' observed parenting behaviors and reported negative emotional responses to a laboratory parent-adolescent interaction task (PAIT) were also collected. Findings indicated that the PM intervention, compared to PE, increased mothers' mindfulness, reduced parenting stress in two domains, increased mindful parenting related to emotional awareness in parenting, and improved parent-adolescent relationship quality. For mothers of girls (but not mothers of boys), the PM intervention also decreased negative parenting behavior and decreased negative emotional responses in PAIT. Effects sizes were medium to large. In sum, findings support parenting-focused mindfulness training as a viable intervention strategy for highly-stressed parents.
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 7
- The effects of mindfulness on mother–child relationships and maternal well‐being during the first COVID‐19 lockdown in Israel Child & Family Social Work March 14, 2023
- Breath-Focused Mindfulness and Compassion Training in Parent-Child Dyads: Pilot Intervention Study. JMIR Formative Research July 17, 2025
- Mindful Parenting for Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorder Diagnosis Children February 26, 2026
- Assessing the impact of mindfulness programs on attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a systematic review. BMC Pediatrics January 14, 2025
- Linking observing and nonreactivity mindfulness to parenting: Moderated direct and indirect effects via inhibitory control. Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43) September 11, 2023
and 2 more in the library
Cites 11
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
and 6 more in the library