Beneficial Effects of School-based Mindfulness Training On Impulsivity in Healthy Adolescents: Results From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
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Authors
Salmoirago-Blotcher, ElenaDruker, Susan
Meyer, Florence
Frisard, Christine F.
Crawford, Sybil L.
Pbert, Lori
UMass Chan Affiliations
Prevention Research CenterDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine
Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2019-03-01Keywords
AdolescentsHealth education
Impulsivity
Mindfulness training
School-based programs
Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Behavioral Medicine
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Movement and Mind-Body Therapies
Preventive Medicine
Public Health Education and Promotion
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BACKGROUND: Since impulsivity is associated with unhealthy behaviors in adolescents, interventions targeting impulsivity could positively affect such behaviors. Whether integrating mindfulness training (MT) into standard school-based health education could improve impulsivity is unknown. PURPOSE: To obtain preliminary estimates of effect of MT integrated in standard high school health education on impulsivity. METHODS: Two high schools in Massachusetts were randomized to school-based health education plus MT (HE-MT) or to health education plus attention control (HE-AC). The outcome was change in impulsivity at end of treatment (EOT) and 6 months after EOT. RESULTS: Students (n = 53; 30 HE-MT, 23 HE-AC) were on average 14.5years old and 40% belonged to ethnic minorities. Compared to the control condition, HE-MT had significant effects on impulsivity at EOT (beta=-9.7; SE=3.8, p=0.01), while smaller, non-significant differences were seen 6 months after EOT. CONCLUSION: This rigorous pilot study suggests that MT could have a beneficial effect on impulsivity in adolescents. Improvements in impulsivity could have important implications should future larger studies show that such improvements result in healthier behaviors.Source
Explore (NY). 2019 Mar - Apr;15(2):160-164. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2018.07.003. Epub 2018 Aug 22. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1016/j.explore.2018.07.003Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/44523PubMed ID
30309789Related Resources
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.explore.2018.07.003