Session: Effectiveness Studies of Mindfulness with Children, Parents, and Teachers (Society for Prevention Research 26th Annual Meeting)

This paper symposium will present findings from three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mindfulness with children, parents, and teachers as a prevention strategy. Recent years have witnessed an explosion of mindfulness research - the practice of bringing nonjudgmental awareness to the present moment. Well-controlled studies with adults find mindfulness effective in reducing depression, anxiety, substance abuse, stress, and insomnia. However, far fewer studies use mindfulness as a prevention strategy with children, parents, and teachers.

The first presentation will present results from a RCT of the Mindful Coping Power (MCP) program. The study integrates mindfulness into an evidence-based indicated prevention program, Coping Power (CP). Although CP is effective in reducing externalizing behavior, proactive aggression, it has not produced significant reductions in reactive aggression, behaviors characterized by impulsivity, low frustration, and emotional dysregulation. The study adapted CP by integrating it with mindfulness. Cohort 1 results show that parents of children receiving MCP reported improved social skills (d=.59) and decreased attention problems (d=.59) and behavioral self-regulation (d=.65).

The second presentation will present results from a RCT testing effects of a teacher mindfulness program - Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE). Results show that CARE had significant positive impacts on teachers’ emotion regulation, mindfulness, psychological distress, and time urgency, and on observed emotional support in the classroom. In addition, there were positive impacts on student reading competence among students of teachers low in initial mindfulness and among students reported by teachers as low in initial social skills.

The third presentation will present findings from a RCT testing effects of the Mindfulness-based Strengthening Families (MSFP 10-14) program versus the original Strengthening Families 10-14 Program (SFP). HLM analyses revealed significant differences (effect size) for youth report of maternal monitoring at post (ES = .26). with MSFP youth reporting more monitoring by mothers. MSFP fathers reported greater mindful parenting (ES = .24-.46), support and understanding of their youth (ES = .22), and lower parenting stress (ES = -.33) than SFP fathers. MSFP Youth also reported stronger relationship quality with fathers (ES = .27-.36).

A discussant, a senior researcher in the field, will synthesize findings across studies, and identify directions for future research.