Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness intervention for urban youth.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention for reducing stress responses and improving mental health and social adjustment in underserved urban youth.
Results Summary
The intervention was well-received by students, teachers, and administrators and showed positive effects on stress-related outcomes, including reductions in rumination, intrusive thoughts, and emotional arousal.
Population
97 fourth and fifth graders (60.8% female) from four urban public schools.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
12 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention | decrease | involuntary stress responses | chronically stressed and disadvantaged youth | - | would reduce | #1 |
a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention | increase | mental health outcomes | chronically stressed and disadvantaged youth | - | would improve | #2 |
a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention | increase | social adjustment | chronically stressed and disadvantaged youth | - | would improve | #3 |
a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention | decrease | problematic responses to stress | students, teachers, and school administrators | - | had a positive impact on | #4 |
a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention | decrease | rumination | students, teachers, and school administrators | - | had a positive impact on | #5 |
a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention | decrease | intrusive thoughts | students, teachers, and school administrators | - | had a positive impact on | #6 |
a school-based mindfulness and yoga intervention | decrease | emotional arousal | students, teachers, and school administrators | - | had a positive impact on | #7 |
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.