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Galla B, Karanam A, Pelakh A, Goldberg SB. Adolescents do not benefit from universal school-based mindfulness interventions: a reanalysis of Dunning et al. (2022). Front Psychol 2024; 15:1384531. [PMID: 38939220 PMCID: PMC11210347 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Are universal school-based mindfulness interventions an effective way to reduce risk for mental disorders and improve adolescents' lives? To answer this question, we reanalyzed data from Dunning et al.'s (2022) meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of mindfulness interventions delivered to children and adolescents. Though Dunning et al. (2022) reported some benefits of universal mindfulness interventions, their analysis did not examine adolescents separately from children. Consequently, their conclusions may not entirely reflect the effectiveness of universal mindfulness interventions specifically for adolescents, a developmental period when mental disorders are known to increase. Using their open-access data tables, we tested impacts of 22 randomized controlled trials (N = 16,558) on eight outcome categories-anxiety/stress, attention, depression, executive functioning, mindfulness, negative behavior, social behavior, and wellbeing-at immediate post-test and longest follow-up. Our reanalysis shows that when compared to passive controls, mindfulness interventions significantly reduced trait mindfulness (d = -0.10). When compared to active controls, mindfulness interventions significantly improved anxiety/stress (d = 0.17) and wellbeing (d = 0.10). When compared to all controls combined, mindfulness interventions did not significantly improve any outcome (ds = 0.01 to 0.26). No effects of mindfulness interventions were observed at follow-up assessment. Overall, results of our analysis cast doubt about the value of existing school-based mindfulness interventions as a universal prevention strategy for adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Galla
- Department of Health and Human Development, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Aishwarya Karanam
- Department of Health and Human Development, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Avital Pelakh
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Simon B. Goldberg
- Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Burns C, Hejl C, Z. Szabo Y. Childhood Adversity and Adult Inflammation: Exploring the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation in the MIDUS II Study. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2024; 17:319-334. [PMID: 38938945 PMCID: PMC11199436 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-023-00594-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
The present study furthers understanding of how childhood adversity connects to inflammation and, in turn, poor health. Using the publicly available Midlife in the United States II (MIDUS II) dataset, we test a recent theoretical model that suggests emotion regulation is a potential mechanism of associations between adversity and inflammation. We examined the indirect effects of various types of adversity (e.g., stressful events, maltreatment, threat, and deprivation) on inflammation via two emotion regulation strategies (i.e., expressive suppression and reappraisal). Participants included 1096 adults without a history of cancer or HIV/AIDS who had completed the initial MIDUS II follow up and a sub-study examining biomarkers. Participants completed self-report measures inquiring about psychosocial factors including stressful life events, childhood trauma, and emotion regulation as well as provided blood samples. Bivariate correlation indicated that multiple forms of childhood adversity were associated with both C-reactive protein and fibrinogen. Deprivation, as measured by a stressful life events scale, was positively associated with both reappraisal and suppression. Tests of indirect effects indicated that deprivation was positively associated with fibrinogen through both emotion regulation strategies, particularly for female participants. Our findings partially support recent theory positing emotion regulation as a pathway through which childhood adversity may impact inflammation in adulthood. Further, deprivation may be particularly critical in understanding how adversity is connected to maladaptive emotion regulation and inflammation. Emotion regulation may be an important treatment target to mitigate the negative impact of childhood adversity on health and well-being. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-023-00594-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Burns
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX USA
- Department of Education, Health, & Behavior, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND USA
| | - Christina Hejl
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX USA
| | - Yvette Z. Szabo
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, TX USA
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
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Bogaert L, Van der Gucht K, Kuppens P, Kock M, Schreuder MJ, Kuyken W, Raes F. The effect of universal school-based mindfulness on anhedonia and emotional distress and its underlying mechanisms: A cluster randomised controlled trial via experience sampling in secondary schools. Behav Res Ther 2023; 169:104405. [PMID: 37797436 PMCID: PMC10938062 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
This cluster randomised controlled trial examined the effectiveness of universal school-based mindfulness training (MT; vs. passive control) to lower anhedonia and emotional distress among mid-adolescents (15-18 years). It further examined three potential mechanisms: dampening of positive emotions, non-acceptance/suppression of negative emotions, and perceived social pressure not to experience/express negative emotions. Adolescents (ncontrol = 136, nintervention = 95) participated in three assessment points (before, after and two/three months after the in-class MT), consisting of Experience Sampling (ES) assessments and self-report questionnaires (SRQs) to corroborate the ES assessments. Analyses were based on general linear modelling and multilevel modelling. Overall, no evidence was found for a significant beneficial and long-lasting impact of the MT on adolescents' mental health. Importantly, some barriers inherently linked to universal MT approaches (low engagement in and mixed attitudes towards the MT) may have tempered the effectiveness of the MT in the current trial. Further research should prioritise overcoming these barriers to optimise programme implementation. Additionally, given the potential complex interplay of moderators at micro- (home practice), meso- (school climate), and macro-level (broader context), research should simultaneously focus on alternative ways of delivering MT at schools to strengthen adolescents' mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesbeth Bogaert
- Research Unit Behaviour, Health and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Mindfulness Centre, KU Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Katleen Van der Gucht
- Leuven Mindfulness Centre, KU Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Unit Methods, Individual and Cultural Differences, Affect and Social Behavior, KU Leuven, Belgium; Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Kuppens
- Leuven Mindfulness Centre, KU Leuven, Belgium; Research Unit Methods, Individual and Cultural Differences, Affect and Social Behavior, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Merle Kock
- Research Unit Behaviour, Health and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Mindfulness Centre, KU Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marieke J Schreuder
- Research Unit Methods, Individual and Cultural Differences, Affect and Social Behavior, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Willem Kuyken
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; University of Oxford Mindfulness Research Centre, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Filip Raes
- Research Unit Behaviour, Health and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Mindfulness Centre, KU Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Belgium.
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