"The Program Affects Me 'Cause it Gives Away Stress": Urban Students' Qualitative Perspectives on Stress and a School-Based Mindful Yoga Intervention.
School-based mindfulness and yoga studies generally measure stress-related outcomes using quantitative measures.



This study answers the following research questions: How do youth define stress and in what ways, if any, was a mindful yoga intervention helpful to youth during stress experiences?



To explore youths' own perspectives on stress, stressors in youths' lives, and perceived changes in responses to stress post-intervention, we conducted focus group discussions with 22 middle school students from low-income urban communities following a 16-week mindful yoga intervention.



Using thematic analysis, the following three themes emerged: (1) youth conflated stress with negative emotions; (2) peer and family conflicts were common stressors; and (3) youth reported improved impulse control and emotional regulation following the intervention. Study findings have implications for refining intervention content (e.g., discussions of stress), as well as informing the selection and development of quantitative measures for future research on stress and stress responses in urban youth.
College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Electronic address: jacinda.dariotis@gmail.com.
Jacinda K
JK
Dariotis
Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
Fallon
F
Cluxton-Keller
Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
Roxanne
R
Mirabal-Beltran
Minds Incorporated, Washington, DC.
Laura Feagans
LF
Gould
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
Mark T
MT
Greenberg
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
Tamar
T
Mendelson
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D004644:Emotions; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D064866:Mindfulness / Q000379:methods*; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012572:School Health Services; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014505:Urban Population; D015013:Yoga
mindfulness; qualitative; schools; stress; yoga; youth
Psychosom Med. 2002 Jan-Feb;64(1):71-83
11818588
Child Dev Perspect. 2012 Jun 1;6(2):146-153
22905038
Am J Community Psychol. 1990 Jun;18(3):383-406
2264556
Pediatr Phys Ther. 2008 Spring;20(1):66-80
18300936
Psychol Sch. 2017 Jan;54(1):53-69
28670007
Matern Child Health J. 2012 Apr;16 Suppl 1:S158-69
22481571
J Adolesc Health. 2005 Dec;37(6):484-92
16310126
J Youth Adolesc. 2013 Jun;42(6):792-806
23086016
Dev Psychopathol. 2009 Winter;21(1):87-97
19144224
J Consult Clin Psychol. 2009 Oct;77(5):855-66
19803566
Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 May;17(2):96-101
21457899
J Pers Soc Psychol. 2003 Apr;84(4):822-48
12703651
New Dir Youth Dev. 2014 Summer;2014(142):59-81
25100495
Science. 2011 Aug 19;333(6045):959-64
21852486
J Adolesc. 2001 Jun;24(3):297-311
11476608
J Pediatr Health Care. 2012 Jan-Feb;26(1):45-56
22153143
Child Dev. 2009 Jan-Feb;80(1):259-79
19236405
Soc Sci Med. 2013 Aug;90:24-31
23746605
J Youth Adolesc. 1988 Oct;17(5):377-91
24277665
Explore (NY). 2013 May-Jun;9(3):171-80
23643372
Acad Pediatr. 2009 Jul-Aug;9(4):212-220.e1-9
19608122
J Health Soc Behav. 2003 Mar;44(1):34-44
12751309
Mindfulness (N Y). 2016 Feb;7(1):76-89
26918064
Front Psychol. 2014 Jun 30;5:603
25071620
Am Psychol. 1991 Aug;46(8):819-34
1928936
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2010 Oct;38(7):985-94
20440550