Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness intervention for urban youth.
Tamar Mendelson, Mark Greenberg, Jacinda K Dariotis, Laura Feagans Gould, Brittany L Rhoades, Philip J Leaf
Journal of abnormal child psychology October 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-010-9418-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 97 |
| Population | Fourth and fifth graders in four urban public schools in underserved communities |
| Intervention | Mindfulness and yoga intervention |
| Duration | 12-week intervention |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Yoga Feasibility studies Pilot projects Stress, psychological Social adjustment Affect Peer group Internal-external control Interpersonal relations Awareness Arousal Attention Child behavior disorders Behavior therapy Minority groups Poverty areas Urban population School health services Baltimore Female Learning disabilities |
| Key findings | The authors report that a 12-week school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention was acceptable to students, teachers, and administrators and had a positive impact on problematic stress responses, including rumination, intrusive thoughts, and emotional arousal, among fourth and fifth graders. The trial was designed to assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes. |
Abstract
Youth in underserved, urban communities are at risk for a range of negative outcomes related to stress, including social-emotional difficulties, behavior problems, and poor academic performance. Mindfulness-based approaches may improve adjustment among chronically stressed and disadvantaged youth by enhancing self-regulatory capacities. This paper reports findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention. Four urban public schools were randomized to an intervention or wait-list control condition (n=97 fourth and fifth graders, 60.8% female). It was hypothesized that the 12-week intervention would reduce involuntary stress responses and improve mental health outcomes and social adjustment. Stress responses, depressive symptoms, and peer relations were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Findings suggest the intervention was attractive to students, teachers, and school administrators and that it had a positive impact on problematic responses to stress including rumination, intrusive thoughts, and emotional arousal.
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 55
- A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children. Journal of school psychology June 1, 2014
- Contemplative Education: A Systematic, Evidence-Based Review of the effect of Meditation Interventions in Schools Educational Psychology Review March 1, 2015
- Women Benefit More Than Men in Response to College-based Meditation Training. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
- Gender differences in response to a school-based mindfulness training intervention for early adolescents. Journal of school psychology June 1, 2018
- Exploring the past, present, and future of the mindfulness field: A multitechnique bibliometric review Frontiers in Psychology July 26, 2022
and 50 more in the library
Cites 12
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology May 1, 2007
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for the treatment of adolescent psychiatric outpatients: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2009
and 7 more in the library