1.8 Training in Mindful Parenting Skills: A Feasibility Pilot With Effects on Mindfulness, Mood, and Parenting in a Low-Income Sample

Abstract

Mindfulness is learning to observe and accept one’s thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, as well as external events, as opposed to identifying with or reflexively reacting to them. Mindfulness-based clinical interventions demonstrate significant positive impact for a range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, and addiction. An increasingly promising approach is to apply the principles of mindfulness to the challenges of parenting. Families experiencing poverty, toxic stress, and other risk factors are at greater risk for mental and physical health problems. These experiences undermine optimal parenting support, increasing risk for mental health problems in offspring. Mindful practice cultivates patience, compassion, and the capacity to maintain an emotional “even keel.” These skills are relevant for enhancing parental responsiveness and attunement. The present study tests a model for training in mindful parenting skills for low-income parents whose children attend an early education center in Washington, DC.