Perceptions of mindfulness practices as a support for individuals managing caregiving responsibilities and chronic disease: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Explore the lived experience of individuals managing and/or caregiving for someone with a chronic disease and their perceptions of developing a mindfulness program for stress reduction. METHODS: Sixteen participants with chronic disease and/or caregivers participated. Participants completed eligibility screening, demographic questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews (30-60 min each) online or by phone. Interviews (n = 16) were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis and NVivo® 12. Survey data were analyzed using SPSS® 28. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: (a) Chronic disease management and stress-perspectives on life's stressors; (b) Stress reduction techniques/perceptions of mindfulness-knowledge and implementation of stress reduction practices and familiarity with mindfulness; (c) Mindfulness program acceptability, barriers, and facilitators-interest, barriers, and facilitators to attending; (d) Mindfulness program structure-logistics to increase access and appeal to diverse audiences. DISCUSSION: Mindfulness has the potential for addressing the complexities of stress associated with disease management. Targeting mindfulness programs for populations with chronic disease management and caregiving responsibilities should include: Consideration of group formats with participation limited to this population, structuring programs to overcome barriers (i.e., culturally appropriate location), and equipping members of the community being served as instructors to ensure culturally relevant instruction.

Mindfulness based intervention with an attentional comparison group in at risk young adolescents: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Risky behaviors are related to poor outcomes among young adolescents. This study piloted a mindfulness based intervention, Learning 2 Breath Mindfulness Curriculum, focusing on the feasibility of programming and intervention effects on coping, affect, and trait mindfulness among at-risk adolescents. Further, the mindfulness based intervention was compared to an attention intervention. METHODS: Sixth-grade level female students in a boarding school for at-risk youth randomly allocated to either the mindfulness intervention (n = 12) or an attention intervention (n = 11) for six weeks. Outcomes (i.e., primary coping, positive affect, and trait mindfulness) were assessed before and after the interventions. RESULTS: Intervention groups did not differ in demographics or outcomes at baseline. Twenty-two of 23 (95.7%) registered participants attended all of the sessions. Participants completed 86.4% of study tools. Separate repeated measures ANOVAs revealed no significant interactions among group and time for primary coping, positive affect, or mindfulness. However, positive affect did increase [F(1, 17) = 10.675, p = 0.005, partial η 2 = 0.39] over time for both groups and there was a slight increase in trait mindfulness over time (although not statistically significant; p = 0.095, partial η 2 = 0.155]). Primary coping did not change with time. CONCLUSION: The mindfulness intervention utilized in the present study exhibited feasibility in this population. Although preliminary, mindfulness based interventions may contribute to positive affect among at-risk youth in a boarding school. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Perceived Needs for Adolescent Mental Health in an Urban Community.

INTRODUCTION: Stressors in urban communities are detrimental to adolescents' psychological health. Key factors for success are a community-academic partnership in which researchers and stakeholders in the community work together on program development and research practices. This study elicited students', parents', and teachers' perceived needs for psychological well-being in urban-dwelling adolescents. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with teachers, family members, and students in an urban middle school. Individuals who did not speak English were excluded. Focus group interviews were recorded and transcribed and underwent content analysis to identify key themes. Two investigators independently reviewed and coded the data, with a third expert available if there was disagreement. RESULTS: Six focus groups, two from each stakeholder group, were conducted with a total of 29 participants. Approximately 70% of participants were female, ranging in age from 11 to 68 years. Participants were primarily African American (n = 22), and the remainder were multiracial (n = 4), White (n = 2), and Latino (n = 1). Emergent themes were educational support, social skills, and community landscape. DISCUSSION: Participants identified gaps and approaches to education and clinical care, strengthening social skills, and changing the community landscape as possible effective targets for future interventions.