title: School-based mindfulness instruction for urban male youth: a small randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been shown to improve mental health and reduce stress in a variety of adult populations. Here, we explore the effects of a school-based MBSR program for young urban males.
  
  
  METHODS
  In fall 2009, 7th and 8th graders at a small school for low-income urban boys were randomly assigned to 12-session programs of MBSR or health education (Healthy Topics-HT). Data were collected at baseline, post-program, and three-month follow-up on psychological functioning; sleep; and salivary cortisol, a physiologic measure of stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one (22 MBSR and 19 HT) of the 42 eligible boys participated, of whom 95% were African American, with a mean age of 12.5 years. Following the programs, MBSR boys had less anxiety (p=0.01), less rumination (p=0.02), and showed a trend for less negative coping (p=0.06) than HT boys. Comparing baseline with post-program, cortisol levels increased during the academic terms for HT participants at a trend level (p=0.07) but remained constant for MBSR participants (p=0.33).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, MBSR participants showed less anxiety, improved coping, and a possible attenuation of cortisol response to academic stress, when compared with HT participants. These results suggest that MBSR improves psychological functioning among urban male youth.
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Community Health Research, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA. Electronic address: esibinga@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Erica M S
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sibinga
authors.forename: Carisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perry-Parrish
authors.forename: Shang-en
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Sara B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ellen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012890:Sleep; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Adolescent; Coping; Meditation; Mindfulness; Mindfulness meditation; Mindfulness-based stress reduction; School-based; Self-regulation; Youth