Impact of MindUP Among Young Children: Improvements in Behavioral Problems, Adaptive Skills, and Executive Functioning

Claire V Crooks,Karen Bax,Haesoo Kim,Mostafa Shokoohi,Andrea Delaney

doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01460-0

Claire V Crooks, Karen Bax + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01460-0

Copy DOI

Abstract

ObjectivesWe evaluated the impacts of a mindfulness-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program on behavioral problems, adaptive skills, and executive functioning among kindergarten students.MethodsA total of 23 classrooms were assigned to the intervention group, in which the teachers implemented MindUP, and 19 classrooms were assigned to the comparison group, in which the teachers delivered their classes as usual. Teachers assessed the behavior of students (N = 584; intervention n = 261; comparison n = 323) both pre- and post-intervention with two measures: the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition, Teacher Rating Scales (BASC-3 TRS) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool and Child Version (BRIEF-P; BRIEF-2).ResultsStudents who received the intervention demonstrated an improvement in adaptive skills and reduction in behavioral symptoms, internalizing composite, and externalizing composite outcomes. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in executive functioning deficits among students who participated in MindUP. There were no gender differences regarding changes in any of the five study outcomes.ConclusionsThe study suggests that mindfulness-based SEL intervention can improve psychosocial and behavioral outcomes in young children.

Highlights

During the 2017–2018 school year, the district recruited two additional schools to participate in the intervention condition and seven schools to serve as comparison schools
The children from the pilot continued to be part of our data collection procedures, they were excluded from these analyses because some of them were older than the comparison group and because we did not want to include children who were participating in the intervention for the second time
In model 1, we examined the impact of the intervention considering the clustering levels, with time and its interaction term included in the model to demonstrate the change over time among students who were exposed to the intervention versus students in the comparison group

Summary

Objectives

We evaluated the impacts of a mindfulness-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program on behavioral problems, adaptive skills, and executive functioning among kindergarten students. Teachers assessed the behavior of students (N = 584; intervention n = 261; comparison n = 323) both pre- and post-intervention with two measures: the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition, Teacher Rating Scales (BASC-3 TRS) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool and Child Version (BRIEF-P; BRIEF-2). Results Students who received the intervention demonstrated an improvement in adaptive skills and reduction in behavioral symptoms, internalizing composite, and externalizing composite outcomes. There was a significant decrease in executive functioning deficits among students who participated in MindUP. 2: Mindfulness Awareness Identify the differences between mindful and unmindful behavior.

Methods

Results

Conclusion