This study will compare the efficacy of a mindfulness meditation program for adolescents with chronic health conditions delivered either in person or via eHealth. The eight-week mindfulness program, called Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) will combine various meditation practices, group discussions and inquiry. Participants will be recruited from different general and sub-specialty …
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and early life abuse: Does attenuating inflammation reduce depressive symptoms and interpersonal dysfunction?
Early life abuse (ELA) is a risk factor for depression and interpersonal problems in adulthood. Frequent exposure to stress early in life leads to enduring changes in neurobiological systems that regulate stress and emotion. In particular, chronic low-grade inflammation—resulting from sustained activation of the immune system in response to stress—may be a key biological mechanism …
Does ongoing practice of mindfulness meditation promote healthy relationships?
Research suggests that Mindfulness Training (MT) is helpful for dealing with depression, anxiety, and pain. Yet MT has become so popular that it seems like it is recommended for everything, ranging from parenting to dieting to corporate success. Yet without research that identifies the critical features of successful MT, we can’t effectively judge these emerging …
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Evaluation of school-based mindfulness curriculum “Learning to BREATHE”
Youth raised in high poverty neighborhoods are frequently exposed to stressful situations, such as community violence and family conflict, that adversely affect their well-being and academic performance. School-based mindfulness programming may support student functioning, however the existing research contains several limitations (e.g., lack of intervention replication and weak experimental designs). The goal of this project …
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Mindfulness in the context of intractable intergroup conflicts: Can mindfulness practice help overcome barriers to conflict resolution?
Negative intergroup emotions and political perceptions play a crucial role in fueling intergroup conflicts. Recent studies demonstrate the benefits of using clinical research on emotion regulation to inform intergroup relations research. By employing effective ways to temper extreme negative group-based emotions, researchers are able to strengthen attitudes and views that promote reconciliation. We suggest that …
Engaged mindfulness in Vietnam
Contemplative sciences interventions and studies have primarily targeted individual level changes such as increasing focus and reducing stress. Further, few studies include samples outside WEIRD populations (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic, Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010). This project incorporates an approach that integrates mindfulness as a contemplative practice with service learning training as a form …
The impact of mindfulness meditation training on social integration and well-being in first-semester college students
Recently, the literature on the positive impact of social integration on health and well-being, as well as academic success, has been growing. Students entering their first semester of college are at a crucial time for cementing social relationships among their peers. As such, early-college interventions that help students to feel more integrated and connected to …
(Epi)genetic biomarkers of a school-based mindfulness program
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are programs designed to improve psychological well-being, based on the practice of mindful awareness. One such MBI is the MindUP program, which is a school-based program designed for middle school students implemented by classroom teachers. MindUP has been shown to enhance indices of psychological well-being. Our team is interested in understanding how …
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2001 Mind & Life Dialogue IX
This Dialogue presents an overview of modern methods for investigating human brain function, and discussions of the application of these methods to understand the changes produced by meditation practice. LOCATION: Madison, Wisconsin Participants
2007 Mind & Life Dialogue XV
In contemporary behavioral science, the general term “depression” covers a wide range of some of the most striking and prevalent forms of mental suffering in the world today. Within the broad spectrum of depression, some forms are relatively well understood. This Dialogue builds on that understanding to further examine the nature of depression and explore …
