A study analyzed the role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of
Childhood Stress and Trauma. This review aims to identify the benefits of mindfulness-
based interventions as an approach to mitigating the negative sequelae of childhood
trauma by summarizing relevant research in adult and pediatric populations. Research
suggests that children are often exposed to significant environmental stressors and
stress. Toxic stress that results from prolonged exposure to stress, aggregated trauma
experiences has incidents of significant emotional impact. Mindfulness instruction has
been shown to benefit individuals with a known trauma or ACE. Mindfulness may do
this by both an indirect effect of negating the acute response to trauma and stress, but
also by inhibiting underlying consequences of chronic exposure to stress and trauma
such as psychiatric, metabolic and cardiovascular disease through the influence on
lifestyle choices. The review concluded that the negative impact of adverse childhood
events (ACEs) and trauma in childhood is reduced by mindfulness meditation.[129]
One of the study evaluated the effect of a Mindfulness Training Program on the
Impulsivity and Aggression Levels of Adolescents with Behavioral Problems in the
Classroom. Twenty seven students with ages from 12 to 19 years, who were attending
a public high school centre located in the province of Granada participated in this study.
In this sample, 59% of the participants were boys and 41% girls. The control group was
made up of 14 individuals (57% boys and 43% girls), while the 13 individuals
remaining were sent to the experimental group (62% boys and 38% girls). Barratt
Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11). As a result of the application of the mindfulness meditation
technique, during 10 weeks, significant reductions in all the dimensions of impulsivity
and aggressiveness levels occurred in the experimental group composed of high school
students.[130]
A study analyzed students and teachers benefit from mindfulness-based stress
reduction in a school embedded pilot study. Two separate samples from the teacher and
student population, respectively were recruited at a Catholic Gymnasium for girls in
Freiburg, Germany. The intervention consisted of the standard 8-week Mindfulness–
Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) group program. A comprehensive self-report test
completed the same set of standardized questionnaires encompassing a variety of
psychological outcome variables. Quantitative data was analyzed with the Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences 21 (IBM SPSS 21). A total of 29 students were
recruited for the study (15 in the intervention and 14 in the waitlist group). A total of
29 teachers was recruited for the study (14 in the intervention and 15 in the waitlist
group). With reference to students, the comparison between the intervention group and
the waitlist control group demonstrated that participation in an MBSR-course resulted
in significant improvements with respect to perceived stress, self-regulation, school-
related self-efficacy and interpersonal problems.[131]
A study evaluated the effects of a mindfulness meditation course on learning
and cognitive performance among university students in Taiwan. This intervention
study used a quasi-experimental pre/posttest design. This study was conducted in a
private university in south Taiwan where a one-semester course in mindfulness
meditation is a part of the core curriculum for all first-year students. A total of 282
students, 152 in the intervention group and 130 in the control group, were included in
the data analyses of the study. All participants were between 18 and 19 years of age and
61% were females. This study used the Chinese version of the College Learning
Effectiveness Inventory (CLEI) and a set of computer cognitive tasks to measure the effects of mindfulness meditation intervention on students’ learning and cognition
respectively. The pretest and posttest were administrated to the students at week 3 and
week 15, respectively. Except religious affiliations and perceived health status, the
other factors were significantly different between the intervention group and control.
Overall, it was found that a one-semester mindfulness meditation course was able to
significantly improve learning performance, as reflected by the least squares mean
A pilot study was done to find the effectiveness of mindfulness based stress
reduction program in adolescents with implantable cardioverter defibrillators or
pacemakers. This study examined the feasibility of the MBSR program for adolescents
with ICDs/PMs, a population previously unexamined in the research literature. The
participants completed measures of anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and
Depression Scale) and coping (Responses to Stress Questionnaire) at baseline and after
the six-session MBSR intervention. Mean age of the cohort (n = 10) was 15 ± 3 years,
6 were male, 6 had a PM, and 4 had an ICD. Anxiety frequency decreased from baseline
to post-intervention and 90 % of participants reported decreased anxiety scores post-
intervention. Coping skills(response to stress) related negatively to anxiety and
depression (r = -.88, p = .001). [133]
A systematic review and meta analysis on mindfulness based interventions in
schools at New York was done by a researcher. Systematic searches in 12 databases
were performed in August 2012. Twenty-four studies were identified, of which 13 were
published. Nineteen studies used a controlled design. In total, 1348 students were
instructed in mindfulness, with 876 serving as controls, ranging from grade 1 to 12.
Over all, mindfulness-based intervention was improving cognitive performance and
resilience to stress. However, the diversity of study samples, variety in implementation
and exercises, and wide range of instruments used require a careful and differentiated
examination of data. There is great heterogeneity, many studies are underpowered, and
measuring effects of Mindfulness in this setting is challenging.[134]
A study analyzed a randomized, controlled pilot study of mindfulness-based
stress reduction for pediatric chronic pain. The primary purpose of the present study
was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of MBSR for a
randomized, controlled pilot study of MBSR for pediatric chronic pain. Participants
were recruited from a multidisciplinary pain clinic in a large, Midwestern children's
hospital. The final sample included six adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 y,
four in the MBSR group and two in the psycho education group. Weekly sessions for
the MBSR group were 90 min in length and followed a structured protocol. Sessions
included a review of homework, an introduction to and practice of meditation,
discussion of the session, and a review of the home practice assignment. The psycho
education group participated in six group sessions, which were based on a cognitive-
behavioral model of pain, and discussion topics included the nature of chronic pain and
stress management. Health-related quality of life, pain, , anxiety, functional
disability, mindfulness, and treatment acceptability were all assessed pre- and post
intervention as well as at follow-up. Qualitative examination of participants' scores
suggested increased mindfulness but inconsistent patterns on other outcome
measures.[135]
A study protocol for a randomized control trial, on mindfulness-based
intervention for teenagers with cancer was published. This article presents the rationale
and protocol development for a research project aimed at evaluating the effects of a
mindfulness-based meditation intervention on quality of life, sleep, and mood in
adolescents with cancer compared to a control group. A prospective longitudinal
experimental design involving three time points and two groups was developed for this
project. Participants will be assigned randomly to either group. Eligible participants are
adolescents aged 11 to 18 years with a diagnosis of cancer. A final sample size of 28
participants is targeted. Adolescents in the experimental group will be completing
the mindfulness meditation intervention, which comprise of eight weekly sessions,
the mindfulness-based meditation intervention on quality of life, sleep, and mood pre-
post intervention, as well as follow-up. Analyses will also be used to carry out inter-
group comparisons between the experimental group and the wait-list controls.
Voluntary participation, risk of attrition, and the small sample size are potential
limitations of this project. In spite of possible limitations, this project will be one among
very few aimed at the potential benefits of mindfulness meditation on both
psychological and physical health of youth with cancer, and help in
creating mindfulness-based intervention programs, in order to provide the necessary
psychological help to adolescents living with cancer.[136]
An experimental study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of
mindfulness – based stress reduction, mindfulness – based cognitive therapy and Zen
meditation for anxiety and psychological distress. This study provided an overview of
three mindfulness interventions that have demonstrated effectiveness for psychiatric
symptoms. Studies indicate that MBSR and MBCT have anti anxiety effects and
decrease general psychological distress. The evidence suggests that both MBSR and
MBCT have efficacy as adjunctive interventions for anxiety and stress symptoms.[138]
A study on Mindfulness training, online for stress reduction was conducted
globally. A significant number of studies have concluded that mindfulness helps to
reduce physical and psychological symptoms of stress related to various health
concerns and that it is a psychological skill that can be trained. The purpose of this
online research study is to gather the participants' socio-demographics as well as stress
and mindfulness data during an online mindfulness training program. Sustained
attention and the state of mindfulness experienced in single meditation sessions are also
relationship between high scores in stress and low scores in mindfulness facets and
between state and trait aspects of mindfulness.[139]
Study on Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as an established
program shown to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Sixteen patients
underwent functional MRI while reacting to negative self-beliefs and while regulating
negative emotions using two types of attention, breath-focused attention and
distraction-focused attention. Post-MBSR, 14 patients completed neuro imaging
assessments. Compared with baseline, MBSR completers showed reduction in stress,
anxiety and depression symptoms. The results show that these changes might facilitate
reduction in SAD-related avoidance behaviors, clinical symptoms, and automatic
emotional reactivity to negative self-beliefs in adults with SAD.[140]
A study has documented the benefits of mindfulness meditation among a
military group who participated in an eight-week mindfulness training, a non
meditating military group and a group of non meditating civilians. Both military groups
were in a highly stressful period before deployment. The researchers found that the non
meditating military group had decreased working memory capacity over time, whereas
working memory capacity among non meditating civilians was stable across time.
Within the meditating military group, however, working memory capacity increased
with meditation practice. In addition, meditation practice was directly related to self-
reported positive affect and inversely related to self-reported negative affect. These
findings suggest that adequate mindfulness meditation practice may enhance working
memory capacity. Thus, research indicates that meditation may elicit positive emotions,