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Learning to BREATHE: A Pilot Trial of a Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents

2009; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 2; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/1754730x.2009.9715696

2049-8535

Patricia C. Broderick, Stacie M. Metz,

Resilience and Mental Health

This study reports the results of a pilot trial of Learning to BREATHE, a mindfulness curriculum for adolescents created for a classroom setting. The primary goal of the program is to support the development of emotion regulation skills through the practice of mindfulness, which has been described as intentional, non-judgmental awareness of present-moment experience. The total class of 120 seniors (average age 17.4 years) from a private girls' school participated as part of their health curriculum. Relative to controls, participants reported decreased negative affect and increased feelings of calmness, relaxation, and self-acceptance. Improvements in emotion regulation and decreases in tiredness and aches and pains were significant in the treatment group at the conclusion of the program. Qualitative feedback indicated a high degree of program satisfaction. The results suggest that mindfulness is a potentially promising method for enhancing adolescents' emotion regulation and well-being.