Perceived Benefits of Mindfulness and Health Education Programs for Minoritized Adolescents: A Qualitative Analysis

Objectives: In the context of adverse social conditions, adolescents may not progress to adulthood with the emotional and behavioral skills needed to effectively navigate inevitable life challenges. Appropriately timed, evidence-based interventions have the potential to improve youth developmental trajectories. This qualitative study explored adolescents’ perceptions of two different types of school-based programs designed to promote healthy development and decision-making: mindfulness and health education. Method: Focus group data were analyzed to explore adolescent perceptions of how the programs impacted them. Ninth grade students (n = 79) in three schools serving marginalized urban communities, where traumatic experiences are common, were randomly assigned to one of the two interventions as part of a trial to identify mechanisms of behavioral change. Separate focus groups were conducted for participants in the mindfulness and health education programs at each school (n = 6 focus groups). Of the 70 participants who attended one or more program sessions, 45 participated in a focus group (mean age: 14.7 years; 86.7% Black; 51.1% female). Results: Four themes were identified through analysis of the focus group data: (1) enhanced emotional intelligence–emotion recognition, perspective taking, and empathy (mindfulness only); (2) a mindset shift toward cognitive control through greater focus, awareness, and intentionality; (3) utilizing program skills in other contexts to manage stress or make healthy choices; and (4) reinforced and transferred program learning through sharing. Conclusions: Students perceived benefits of program participation, many of which overlapped between programs. Enhanced emotional intelligence was unique to the mindfulness-based intervention. These findings have implications for the development and adaptation of school-based programs and selection of comparison or active control conditions in intervention trials. Preregistration: This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03989934).

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Work Title Perceived Benefits of Mindfulness and Health Education Programs for Minoritized Adolescents: A Qualitative Analysis
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Jacinda K. Dariotis
  2. Keren Mabisi
  3. Rachel Jackson-Gordon
  4. Emma Jane Rose
  5. Diana H. Fishbein
  6. Tamar Mendelson
Keyword
  1. Mindfulness
  2. Healthy behaviors
  3. Adolescents
  4. Qualitative
  5. Benefits
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Mindfulness
Publication Date June 8, 2023
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02147-y
Deposited June 13, 2024

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added Benefits_Paper_2023_final_pub.pdf
  • Added Creator Jacinda K. Dariotis
  • Added Creator Keren Mabisi
  • Added Creator Rachel Jackson-Gordon
  • Added Creator Emma Jane Rose
  • Added Creator Diana H. Fishbein
  • Added Creator Tamar Mendelson
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated Keyword, Publication Date Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Mindfulness, Healthy behaviors, Adolescents, Qualitative, Benefits
    Publication Date
    • 2023-06-01
    • 2023-06-08