Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma (ALMA): an Evaluation of a Mindfulness Intervention to Promote Mental Health among Latina Immigrant Mothers.
Daron Ryan, Serena Maurer, Liliana J. Lengua, Bonnie Duran, India J. Ornelas
The journal of behavioral health services & research April 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s11414-017-9582-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot pre-post test study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Community sample of Latina immigrants |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Treatment outcome Adaptation, psychological Stress, psychological Mothers Mental health Adult Middle aged Health promotion Patient satisfaction Washington Female Interviews as topic Emigrants and immigrants Hispanic or latino |
| Key points | The added mindfulness sessions were feasible and acceptable: women were satisfied and used the strategies in daily life, and mean depression scores dropped 19% and mean anxiety scores dropped 26% from pre- to post-test. The authors state that further evaluation is needed to test efficacy. |
Abstract
Latina immigrants are at increased risk for poor mental health. Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma (ALMA) is a group-based intervention to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among Latina immigrants. Based on participants' feedback and growing evidence supporting mindfulness as a way to reduce stress and improve mental health, additional sessions of the ALMA intervention were developed and pilot tested to provide more training on mindfulness as a coping strategy. The feasibility and potential efficacy were evaluated in a community sample using a pre- and post-test study design. Findings suggested that women were satisfied with the sessions and used mindfulness strategies they learned in their daily lives. The program also reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety (19% reduction in mean depression scores and 26% reduction in mean anxiety scores). Further evaluation is needed to test the efficacy of the intervention.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Feasibility of Implementing a Mindfulness-Based Online Program for Latina Immigrants and the Staff that Work with Them Mindfulness May 1, 2023
- Exploring Mechanisms, Methods, and Measurement in Mindfulness Research: A Scoping Review of Community-Based Interventions Mindfulness September 15, 2026
- Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma: In-Person and Online Delivery of an Intervention to Promote Mental Health Among Latina Immigrant Women. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine June 20, 2022
- Mindfulness meditation and improvement in depressive symptoms among Spanish- and English speaking adults: A randomized, controlled, comparative efficacy trial. PLoS One July 15, 2019