title: "A conscious control over life and my emotions:" mindfulness practice and healthy young people. A qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although quantitative benefits of mindfulness training have been demonstrated in youth, little is known about the processes involved. The aim of this study was to gain a detailed understanding of how young people engage with the ideas and practices known as mindfulness using qualitative enquiry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following completion of a six-week mindfulness training program with a nonclinical group of 11 young people (age 16-24), a focus group (N = 7) and open-ended interviews (n = 5) were held and audio-recorded. Qualitative data, collected at eight time points over three months from the commencement of training, were coded with the aid of computer software. Grounded theory methodology informed the data collection process and generation of themes and an explanatory model that captured participants' experiences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants described their daily lives as beset by frequent experiences of distress sometimes worsened by their unhelpful or destructive reactions. With mindfulness practice, they initially reported greater calm, balance, and control. Subsequently they commented on a clearer understanding of themselves and others. Mindfulness was then described as a "mindset" associated with greater confidence and competence and a lessened risk of future distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of and engagement with mindfulness principles and practice. Their reported experience aligned well with qualitative research findings in adults and theoretical literature on mindfulness. An encouraging finding was that, with ongoing mindfulness practice and within a relatively short time, participants were able to move beyond improved emotion regulation and gain greater confidence in their ability to manage life challenges.
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. k.monshat@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Kaveh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Monshat
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khong
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hassed
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vella-Brodrick
authors.forename: Jacolyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norrish
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herrman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult