Is mindfulness useful for adolescents, as a tool to increase their abilities to cope with stress and negative emotions and to decrease the occurrence (or relapse) of depression?
Partners:
- Go for Happiness
- VZW Mindfulness lead by Dr. David Dewulf
- University of Leuven, Centre for educational psychology and experimental psychopathology Prof. Dr. Filip Raes
Recently a mindfulness program was developed specific for adolescents (14-18 years).
This program is based on the MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) curriculum for adults. The efficacy of MBCT has been shown before, for example to reduce recurrence in people with histories of depression.
The mindfulness program includes understanding of emotional awareness and acceptance, understanding negative thoughts and reframing, enhancing social relations, education about stress as well as coping with difficult situations, cultivating positive emotions and well-being.
The project wants to evaluate the efficacy of this program for adolescents (secondary schools) on building the skills necessary to cope better with stress and negative emotions.
Why?
Also adolescents experience a great deal of stress. Recent studies show that suicide is nowadays the second cause of dead among youngsters.
Up till now mindfulness programs are introduced in schools especially in the United States, where Jon Kabat-Zin developed the MBSR program, and Canada. The first research results are positive and show that simple exercises based on mindfulness can help students learn effective ways to look after themselves when emotions become overwhelming, they react less aggressive, less oppositional toward teachers, and are more attentive in class.
How?
The mindfulness techniques will be given in a secondary school setting for adolescents between 14 and 18 years. In each school an 8 week during mindfulness program adjusted to the age of the adolescents is organized in two different classes (on average 20 students per class), age between 14 and 16, and a second group age between 16 and 18. Each trimester two schools are visited. In total ca 480 students will have received a training. The scientific research is lead by Prof. Dr. Filip Raes and is designed as a randomized controlled study with pre- and post-testing and a follow-up after 6 months.
Validation happens by
- Prof. Dr. Filip Raes, KUL ,Centre for educational psychology and experimental psychopathology,
- Dr. Katleen Van der Gucht, scientific researcher, VZW Mindfulness.
Time plan: results avaiable 2013.
Application method results:
- The results of the project will be announced
- via different publications a.o. in the magazine Klasse, one or more scientific publications …
- via specific actions such as congress participation, CLB study days etc.
- After a first evaluation, if efficient, there will be further investigation into a potential expansion towards other schools
- a check on the possibility and effectiveness to implement mindfulness in the training for teachers
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