title: Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness intervention for urban youth.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. tmendels@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mendelson
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Jacinda K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Dariotis
authors.forename: Laura Feagans
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: Brittany L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Rhoades
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Leaf
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D001364:Awareness; D015142:Baltimore; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012572:School Health Services; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D014505:Urban Population; D015013:Yoga / Q000523:psychology*