Dariotis Jacinda K, Mabisi Keren, Jackson-Gordon Rachel, Rose Emma Jane, Fishbein Diana H, Mendelson Tamar
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Family Resiliency Center, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 904 W. Nevada St, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Evaluation Services Center, College of Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Mindfulness (N Y). 2023 Jun;14(6):1346-1361. doi: 10.1007/s12671-023-02147-y. Epub 2023 Jun 8.
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.
Focus group data were analyzed to explore adolescent perceptions of how the programs impacted them. Ninth grade students ( = 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 ( = 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).
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.
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.
This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03989934).
在不利的社会环境背景下，青少年可能无法凭借有效应对不可避免的生活挑战所需的情感和行为技能步入成年。适时且基于证据的干预措施有潜力改善青少年的发展轨迹。这项定性研究探讨了青少年对旨在促进健康发展和决策的两种不同类型的校本课程的看法：正念和健康教育。
对焦点小组数据进行分析，以探究青少年对这些课程如何影响他们的看法。在三所服务于边缘化城市社区（创伤经历常见）的学校中，九年级学生（n = 79）被随机分配到两种干预措施之一，作为识别行为改变机制试验的一部分。在每所学校，针对正念和健康教育课程的参与者分别进行了焦点小组讨论（共6个焦点小组）。在参加了一个或多个课程环节的70名参与者中，45人参加了焦点小组讨论（平均年龄：14.7岁；86.7%为黑人；51.1%为女性）。
通过对焦点小组数据的分析，确定了四个主题：（1）增强情商——情绪识别、换位思考和同理心（仅正念课程）；（2）通过更强的专注力、意识和意向性，向认知控制转变的思维模式；（3）在其他情境中运用课程技能来管理压力或做出健康选择；（4）通过分享强化并传递课程所学。
学生们认为参与课程有诸多益处，其中许多在两种课程中都有重叠。增强情商是基于正念的干预措施所独有的。这些发现对校本课程的开发与调整以及干预试验中对照或活性对照条件的选择具有启示意义。
本研究已在clinicaltrials.gov（NCT03989934）上注册。
