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African Americans experience a disproportionate rate of stress-related health conditions compared to European Americans. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be effective for managing stress and various stress-related health conditions. This study explored the cultural relevance of mindfulness meditation training for African Americans adults. Fifteen African American adults with past or current experience with mindfulness meditation training were interviewed. Participants felt that mindfulness meditation helped them with enhanced stress management, direct health improvement, and enhanced self-awareness and purposefulness. They felt that they would recommend it and that other African Americans would be open to the practice but suggested that its presentation may need to be adapted. They suggested emphasizing the health benefits, connecting it to familiar spiritual ideology and cultural practices, supplementing the reading material with African American writers, increasing communication (education, instructor availability, "buddy system," etc.), and including African Americans as instructors and participants. By implementing minor adaptations that enhance cultural relevance, mindfulness meditation can be a beneficial therapeutic intervention for this population.
African Americans experience a disproportionate rate of stress-related health conditions compared to European Americans. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be effective for managing stress and various stress-related health conditions. This study explored the cultural relevance of mindfulness meditation training for African Americans adults. Fifteen African American adults with past or current experience with mindfulness meditation training were interviewed. Participants felt that mindfulness meditation helped them with enhanced stress management, direct health improvement, and enhanced self-awareness and purposefulness. They felt that they would recommend it and that other African Americans would be open to the practice but suggested that its presentation may need to be adapted. They suggested emphasizing the health benefits, connecting it to familiar spiritual ideology and cultural practices, supplementing the reading material with African American writers, increasing communication (education, instructor availability, "buddy system," etc.), and including African Americans as instructors and participants. By implementing minor adaptations that enhance cultural relevance, mindfulness meditation can be a beneficial therapeutic intervention for this population.
The aims of this mixed-method pilot study were to determine the feasibility, acceptability, andpreliminary psychosocial outcomes of “Making Friends with Yourself: A Mindful Self
compassion Program for Teens” (MFY), an adaptation of the adult Mindful Self-compassion
program. Thirty-four students age 14–17 were enrolled in this waitlist-controlled crossover
study. Participants were randomized to either the waitlist or intervention group and administered
online surveys at baseline, after the first cohort participated in the intervention, and after the
waitlist crossovers participated in the intervention. Attendance and retention data were collected
to determine feasibility, and audio recordings of the 6-week class were analyzed to determine
acceptability of the program. Findings indicated that MFY is a feasible and acceptable program
for adolescents. Compared with the waitlist control, the intervention group had significantly
greater self-compassion and life satisfaction and significantly lower depression than the waitlist
control, with trends for greater mindfulness, greater social connectedness, and lower anxiety.
When waitlist crossover results were combined with that of the first intervention group, findings
indicated significantly greater mindfulness and self-compassion, and significantly less anxiety,
depression, perceived stress, and negative affect post-intervention. Additionally, regression
results demonstrated that self-compassion and mindfulness predicted decreases in anxiety,
depression, perceived stress, and increases in life satisfaction post-intervention. MFY shows
promise as a program to increase psychosocial well-being in adolescents through increasing
mindfulness and self-compassion. Further testing is needed to substantiate the findings.
The aims of this mixed-method pilot study were to determine the feasibility, acceptability, andpreliminary psychosocial outcomes of “Making Friends with Yourself: A Mindful Self
compassion Program for Teens” (MFY), an adaptation of the adult Mindful Self-compassion
program. Thirty-four students age 14–17 were enrolled in this waitlist-controlled crossover
study. Participants were randomized to either the waitlist or intervention group and administered
online surveys at baseline, after the first cohort participated in the intervention, and after the
waitlist crossovers participated in the intervention. Attendance and retention data were collected
to determine feasibility, and audio recordings of the 6-week class were analyzed to determine
acceptability of the program. Findings indicated that MFY is a feasible and acceptable program
for adolescents. Compared with the waitlist control, the intervention group had significantly
greater self-compassion and life satisfaction and significantly lower depression than the waitlist
control, with trends for greater mindfulness, greater social connectedness, and lower anxiety.
When waitlist crossover results were combined with that of the first intervention group, findings
indicated significantly greater mindfulness and self-compassion, and significantly less anxiety,
depression, perceived stress, and negative affect post-intervention. Additionally, regression
results demonstrated that self-compassion and mindfulness predicted decreases in anxiety,
depression, perceived stress, and increases in life satisfaction post-intervention. MFY shows
promise as a program to increase psychosocial well-being in adolescents through increasing
mindfulness and self-compassion. Further testing is needed to substantiate the findings.
Young adult (YA) cancer survivors report substantial distress, social isolation, and body image concerns that can impede successful reintegration into life years after treatment completion. Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) interventions focus on developing mindfulness and self-compassion for managing distress, hardships, and perceived personal inadequacies. An MSC intervention would be beneficial in supporting YA survivors’ management of psychosocial challenges that arise in survivorship; however, a telehealth intervention modality is essential for reaching this geographically dispersed population. We conducted a single-arm feasibility study of an MSC 8-week videoconference intervention for nationally recruited YA survivors (ages 18–29).
The stress-reductive effect of mindfulness practice is well-established, yet less is known about the cognitive mechanisms underlying this salutary outcome. We conducted a prospective observational study of 339 participants (mean age 45.7 ± 13.4) undergoing an 8-week mindfulness-based stress and pain management course and found support for our hypotheses that a) pre-post intervention increases in dispositional mindfulness are reciprocally linked with increases in positive reappraisal coping and b) the stress-reductive effects of increases in dispositional mindfulness are mediated by increases in positive reappraisal independent of changes in catastrophizing. Positive reappraisal and mindfulness appear to serially and mutually enhance one another, creating the dynamics of an upward spiral. Through mindfulness practice, individuals may engender a broadened state of awareness that facilitates empowering interpretations of stressful life events, leading to substantially reduced distress. Study findings have implications for cognitive therapy that couples mindfulness practices with restructuring techniques oriented toward benefit finding and positive reappraisal.