Effects Of Mindfulness Practice Research Articles

Mindful Schooling: Better Attention Regulation Among Elementary School Children Who Practice Mindfulness as Part of Their School Policy

Mindfulness has been gaining greater support and interest from researchers, clinicians, and educators in the last two decades. However, the effects of mindfulness practice among children are still understudied. Effects of mindfulness practice on self-regulation of attention and emotions were assessed among 242 students in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th grades in a school that has integrated mindfulness practice as part of the school experience, and in a comparison school. Self-regulation of attention was assessed by using CPT and Stroop tasks. Mindfulness levels, anxiety, and affective experience self-reports were also collected. The results indicate that mindfulness practice was associated with earlier development of self-regulation among students in the mindful school, as reflected by a significantly lower proportion of commissions in the CPT task, and a marginally significant higher proportion of correct trials in the Stroop task, at 4th grade in the mindful school as compared to the comparison school. Research regarding early implementation of mindfulness and its effects on developmental trajectories is warranted. The feasibility and efficiency of mindfulness practice as a social emotional learning technique, suggested by this study, warrants further research into the early implementation of mindfulness and its effects on the development of trait mindfulness as part of children’s daily life. Furthermore, we show that mindfulness can be incorporated in significant ways within the public curriculum and does not necessarily have to be some elite practice reserved for children of alternative parents.

Mindfulness-based group therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus: A first exploration of a promising mind-body intervention

Psychological effects related to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are tremendous. While a variety of psychological treatments have been applied to assist SLE patients, the effects of mindfulness practice were never documented in SLE. Mindfulness-based psychotherapy includes several techniques, including body-scan, breathing exercises, and full awareness during daily activities. In this case report, we present a first attempt at conducting mindfulness-based group therapy among SLE patients. Six female SLE patients participated in an 8-week program. Improvement was observed in several areas: patients' increased ability to differentiate between themselves and the disease; increased ability to accept, rather than to actively fight the fact that one must live with the disease; and decreased behavioral avoidance. These observations speak to the significant therapeutic potential of mindfulness practice among SLE patients. With its emphasis on acceptance of negative physical and emotional states, mindfulness practice is a promising treatment option, which needs to be further studied.

Maximizing recovery through the promotion of mindfulness and spirituality

ABSTRACTSpirituality is generally regarded as a protective factor against the initiation of substance use and may be effective in enhancing recovery and promoting abstinence. Preliminary studies on the effects of mindfulness practices on relapse prevention for substance use and behavioral addictions have shown promise. This study sought to determine whether elevated levels of mindfulness were linked to increased spirituality and subsequently decreased the warning signs of relapse among individuals in substance use treatment. Path analysis with bootstrapping methods indicated that there was a direct negative effect between mindfulness and warning signs of relapse, which supported the utility of mindfulness in relapse reduction. Mindfulness also enhanced spirituality, but there was an unexpected positive effect between spirituality and warning signs of relapse. These results provide evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness to increase spirituality and add to our knowledge of the relationship between mindfulness, spirituality, and relapse. Recognizing that there is increased interest regarding the integration of a spiritual domain within behavioral treatment modalities, it is critical that implementation happen in an informed manner. The findings of this study should be considered in clinical settings as well as in the development of future research on mindfulness and spirituality in substance use recovery.