The Effectiveness of a Synchronous Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention on the Attentional Control and Mindfulness of Turkish Late Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

The primary goal of this study was to examine the effects of a synchronous online mindfulness-based psychoeducation program on attentional control and mindfulness levels of Turkish late adolescents and the intervention experiences of the participants. A sample of adolescents ( n = 40, Mage 16.7) was randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. There were 10 participants in each four groups. The embedded design with a convergent approach was used. The quantitive data were obtained using the Solomon four group design while the qualitative data were obtained with phenomenological approach. The mindfulness-based intervention consisting of eight sessions and seven workshops was applied online to the experimental groups. The findings revealed that the attentional control and mindfulness levels of the adolescents in the experimental groups were significantly higher compared to the adolescents in the control groups. Regarding the qualitative findings, the adolescents stated that there were improvements in their levels of attentional control, regulating emotions, self-knowledge, self-confidence, optimism, effective communication skills, academic achievement and motivation to study after the program. The findings of the follow-up test showed that improvements in attentional control and mindfulness levels of the adolescents persisted for 8 weeks. The findings showed that the mindfulness-based intervention is a promising tool for late adolescents.