Effect of Yoga and Mindfulness Intervention on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Young Adolescents Attending Middle School: A Pragmatic Community-Based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in a Racially Diverse Urban Setting.

Mental health conditions in childhood and adolescence are increasing in the U.S. population and require early intervention, as highlighted by a recent Surgeon General's Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health. These health issues, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, impair functioning, and may lead to longer term reductions in quality of life. Young adolescents are likely to experience stressors including academic pressure, feelings of loneliness and isolation, and excessive exposure to social media, all of which have been made worse by the pandemic and associated disruptions. Universal preventive programs at school serve as an important strategy for equipping youth with coping skills to address current and future social and emotional challenges. Yoga and mindfulness programs have emerged as a promising preventive approach for schools and have proven feasible and acceptable. The current study evaluated a universal, school-based mindfulness and yoga program among youth aged 11-14 in a racially diverse, urban setting in the United States. Outcomes of interest included symptoms of anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression symptoms decreased in the intervention group, although these differences were not statistically significant. In the control group, anxiety symptoms decreased but depression symptoms increased. The resulting time effect indicated a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms, while the time by group effect revealed a strong trend in depression symptoms. Future research should investigate the utility of yoga and mindfulness interventions for early adolescents in a larger population, and the differences in intervention effect among subgroups, with attention to longer term outcomes.

HealthyhornsTXT: A Text-Messaging Program to Promote College Student Health and Wellness.

OBJECTIVE: Text-messaging interventions positively affect health behaviors, but their use on college campuses has been limited. Text messaging serves as a relatively affordable way to communicate with large audiences and is one of the preferred modes of communication for young adults. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a campus-wide, health text-messaging program. PARTICIPANTS: The subscriber pool consisted of approximately 6,000 undergraduate students from a large, southern university. From that pool, 1,095 participants (64% female; 41% White) completed a posttest survey. METHOD: Text messages covered a range of health topics and information about campus resources. Research was conducted from August through December 2015. Process data were collected throughout the semester; participants' attitudes were assessed via an online survey at the program's conclusion. RESULTS: Students demonstrated engagement with the messages throughout the semester as evidenced by replies to text-back keywords and clicks on website links embedded within messages. Messages about sleep, stress management, and hydration were considered most relevant. The majority of participants (61%) reported increased awareness regarding their health. CONCLUSIONS: Text-messaging interventions are a feasible strategy to improve college student health.