A College First-Year Mindfulness Seminar to Enhance Psychological Well-Being and Cognitive Function.

Mindfulness training (MT) has shown promise in improving psychological health among college students, yet has rarely been evaluated as an addition to the college academic curriculum. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of a first-year MT seminar offered to residential students at a selective private university, evaluating its impact on psychological and cognitive functioning, in relationship to a comparable positive psychology seminar. The results suggest the potential for first-year programs that promote student well-being.

Exploring Fidelity in School-Based Mindfulness Programs.

A small but growing body of research on school-based mindfulness programs (SBMPs) has demonstrated benefits for students' cognitive and affective functioning and overall wellbeing. Yet, lack of fidelity in SBMP implementation may diminish these programs' purported benefits. This commentary presents 4 current challenges that need to be addressed so that questions of whether and how mindfulness improves student functioning can be clarified and implementation of programs can be strengthened and sustained. These challenges include coming to consensus on the definition and intention of mindfulness training, balancing adherence with flexibility in SBMP delivery, determining the role SBMP teachers' mindfulness experience plays in program fidelity, and delineating distinctive features of mindful pedagogy. Some suggestions for addressing each of these challenges are provided.

Learning to BREATHE "Plus": A Multi-Modal Adaptive Supplement to an Evidence-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Adolescents.

Incorporating technological supplements into existing group mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), particularly for use with adolescents, is an important next step in the implementation of MBIs. Yet there is little available content. Herein we present the development and content of a technological supplement for MBIs, which incorporates multiple technological elements to support (a) skill transfer from the group MBI to daily life, (b) the establishment of a formal mindfulness practice, and (c) the use of mindfulness during periods of high stress. A mixed-methods approach was used to develop this multi-method adaptive supplement. Findings about the use of this supplement will be disseminated scientifically and/or publicly as appropriate.

Mindfulness Interventions to Reduce Impact of Interparental Conflict on Adolescents.

Exposure to frequent, intense, and poorly resolved interparental conflict puts adolescents at risk for problems in many domains, including internalizing and externalizing problems, and stress physiological dysfunction. Existing intervention strategies to target these adolescents focus almost solely on improving marital dynamics, for example, through relationship education or couples therapy. However, interventions that aim to enhance marital communication require high levels of parental commitment and motivation for change, and may be expensive and time-consuming. In the current paper, we argue that it is essential to also apply intervention strategies that directly promote the regulatory capabilities of adolescents to improve outcomes for youth from high-conflict homes. Mindfulness, or present-moment, nonjudgemental awareness, is associated with myriad positive outcomes in adults (e.g., lower levels of depression and anxiety, and greater emotion regulation). We propose that mindfulness interventions are an ideal intervention strategy for adolescents from high conflict homes. Mindfulness interventions may target the mechanisms whereby destructive marital interaction impacts youth, by providing distance between experiences and evaluations, training regulation of attention, and enhancing self-compassion and nonjudgement, as well as by enhancing relationships. We also provide an example of a specific intervention model designed to increase mindfulness in youth, Learning to Breathe (L2B).

Moving 2 Mindful (M2M) study protocol: testing a mindfulness group plus ecological momentary intervention to decrease stress and anxiety in adolescents from high-conflict homes with a mixed-method longitudinal design.

INTRODUCTION: Interparental conflict exposure places adolescents at risk for problems with stress and anxiety; existing prevention/intervention strategies focus on reducing interparental conflict. Mindfulness-based programmes may be a promising treatment strategy for this population, but studies have not yet tested whether they are effective in this high-conflict context. In addition, evidence suggests that extensions to traditional treatments, such as delivering components in daily life that are tailored to moments of need, can increase treatment efficacy, particularly when combined with in-person treatments and particularly for adolescents. However, there are no such extensions to mindfulness interventions available. The Moving 2 Mindful study aims to (1) develop an ecological momentary intervention (EMI) supplement to Learning to BREATHE (L2B), an evidence-based mindfulness intervention for adolescents; (2) refine the EMI programme and determine the best delivery plan; (3) examine the feasibility and acceptability of L2B Plus (L2B plus the developed supplement) and (4) examine the potential for L2B Plus to reduce stress and anxiety for adolescents from high-conflict homes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Moving 2 Mindful study proposes a mixed-methods approach to developing and refining a multimethod adaptive supplement to L2B. Feasibility, acceptability and potential effectiveness will be tested in a sample of 38 families, who will be randomly assigned to receive L2B Plus or an active health and wellness control condition and followed until 3 months postintervention. A range of psychosocial and physiological factors will be assessed at multiple time points. This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (ID NCT03869749; pre-results). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Institutional Review Board at Colorado State University has approved this study. Findings will be disseminated in scientific journals and conferences, whether they are positive, negative or inconclusive.

New Avenues for Promoting Mindfulness in Adolescence using mHealth.

There is a large evidence base supporting the efficacy of mindfulness interventions in adulthood, and growing support for the efficacy of these interventions in adolescence. Historically mindfulness interventions have been delivered in person and in groups, with recommendations for home practice being a critical part of the intervention. However, compliance with these practice recommendations in adolescence is very poor. Past studies indicate that using mobile technology to promote skill transfer to real life can be an effective strategy, particularly when used as a supplement to an in-person intervention strategy. To date, however, mobile technology has largely been used to create stand-alone mindfulness interventions. The goals of the current paper are to discuss the potential opportunities and challenges with a mobile-technology-enhanced mindfulness intervention, and to present the rationale that such an approach is not only theoretical and empirically sound but also a critical next step to increase the efficacy and developmental appropriateness of mindfulness interventions for adolescents. This discussion is grounded in a specific example of a mindfulness intervention supplemented by momentary interventions we are developing.

Promoting healthy transition to college through mindfulness training with first-year college students: Pilot randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Given the importance of developmental transitions on young adults' lives and the high rates of mental health issues among U.S. college students, first-year college students can be particularly vulnerable to stress and adversity. This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness and feasibility of mindfulness training aiming to promote first-year college students' health and wellbeing. PARTICIPANTS: 109 freshmen were recruited from residential halls (50% Caucasian, 66% female). Data collection was completed in November 2014. METHODS: A randomized control trial was conducted utilizing the Learning to BREATHE (L2B) program, a universal mindfulness program adapted to match the developmental tasks of college transition. RESULTS: Participation in the pilot intervention was associated with significant increase in students' life satisfaction, and significant decrease in depression and anxiety. Marginally significant decrease was found for sleep issues and alcohol consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness-based programs may be an effective strategy to enhance a healthy transition into college.

Learning to BREATHE: an intervention to foster mindfulness in adolescence.

During adolescence, young people are traversing exciting and also challenging stages in their development. Mindfulness, if taught in a developmentally appropriate way, has the potential to be an asset in adolescents' lives. Developmentally appropriate approaches of mindfulness intervention during adolescence need to consider adolescents' social contexts (for example, school setting, peer group, family), their cognitive and emotional stages in development, and age-specific strength and vulnerabilities. This chapter puts mindfulness education into a developmental perspective, and presents the Learning to BREATHE program as a school-based universal intervention for adolescents. The authors describe developmental dimensions and themes of the program, and discuss common challenges of program implementation in schools. A case example of bringing the Learning to BREATHE program into the school context is provided.

Mindfulness for adolescents: a promising approach to supporting emotion regulation and preventing risky behavior.

This article reviews the contextual and neuropsychological challenges of the adolescent period with particular attention to the role that universal prevention can play in moderating the harmful effects of stress. The centrality of emotion regulation skills to long-term health and wellness suggests their importance in prevention and intervention efforts for youth. Mindfulness has been shown to be an effective means of reducing stress and improving emotion balance in research with adults, although research on mindfulness with adolescents is limited. The authors present available data and describe one potentially effective program for adolescent mindfulness: Learning to BREATHE.