WWC review of this study

The Effectiveness of a Teacher Delivered Mindfulness-Based Curriculum on Adolescent Social-Emotional and Executive Functioning

Frank, J. L., Broderick, P. C., Oh, Y., Mitra, J., Kohler, K., Schussler, D. L., Roeser, R., Geier, C., Berrena, E., Mahfoux, J., Levitan, J., & Greenberg, M. T. (2018). Unpublished Manuscript.

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    230
     Students
    , grade
    11

Reviewed: February 2019

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Emotional/internal behavior outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Growth mindset

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
219 students

4.13

4.01

No

--

Emotion Regulation

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
224 students

2.71

2.74

No

--

Sleep quality

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
224 students

4.50

4.47

No

--

Anxiety

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
226 students

4.59

4.60

No

--

Stress of school performance

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
223 students

18.18

18.17

No

--

Somatization

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

28.22

28.01

No

--

Social connectedness

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
223 students

4.13

4.16

No

--

Mind-wandering

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
219 students

2.83

2.81

No

--

Stress of peer pressure

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
221 students

10.34

10.06

No

--

Mindfulness

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
224 students

24.05

24.48

No

--

Self-Compassion

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

37.50

37.80

No

--

Depression

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

5.34

4.89

No

--

Rumination

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

3.28

3.11

No

--
Show Supplemental Findings

Emotional regulation: emotional awareness subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
224 students

2.81

3.09

No

--

Self-Compassion: isolation subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

5.91

5.58

No

--

Self-Compassion: over-identified subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

5.81

5.57

No

--

Sleep quality: reinitiating sleep subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
223 students

4.91

4.84

No

--

Emotional regulation: emotional clarity subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
224 students

2.48

2.52

No

--

Sleep quality: maintaining sleep subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
224 students

4.51

4.46

No

--

Self-Compassion: common humanity subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

5.89

5.81

No

--

Emotional regulation: impulse control subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
224 students

2.72

2.75

No

--

Self-Compassion: mindfulness subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

6.59

6.55

No

--

Self-Compassion: self-judgement subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

5.48

5.45

No

--

Sleep quality: falling asleep subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
223 students

4.06

4.14

No

--

Emotional regulation: emotional access to ER strategies subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
224 students

2.73

2.63

No

--

Emotional regulation: goal-directed behavior subscale

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
223 students

3.12

2.69

No

--
Problem behavior outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Illicit substance use

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
225 students

-0.31

0.25

Yes

 
 
29
 

Substance Use Consequences

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
221 students

3.37

3.61

No

--

Substance use initiation

Learning to Breathe (L2B) vs. Business as usual

1 Week

Full sample;
226 students

1.33

1.23

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Female: 43%
    Male: 57%

  • Urban
    • B
    • A
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G
    • I
    • H
    • J
    • K
    • L
    • P
    • M
    • N
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    • Q
    • R
    • S
    • V
    • U
    • T
    • W
    • X
    • Z
    • Y
    • a
    • h
    • i
    • b
    • d
    • e
    • f
    • c
    • g
    • j
    • k
    • l
    • m
    • n
    • o
    • p
    • q
    • r
    • s
    • t
    • u
    • x
    • w
    • y

    Pennsylvania
  • Race
    Asian
    6%
    Black
    16%
    Other or unknown
    28%
    White
    50%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    9%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    91%

Setting

The study took place in two high schools in an urban school district in Pennsylvania. The study included students enrolled in 11 health classes taught by four health instructors. (p. 10)

Study sample

Twenty-three percent of the randomized sample received free or reduced price lunch, 9% of students were Hispanic, 16% were Black, and 50% were White. Males made up 57% of the overall sample.(pp. 10-11)

Intervention Group

The Learning to Breathe (L2B) mindfulness program is intended to improve students' emotional regulation, compassion towards themselves and others, tolerance for distress, and executive functioning skills. The program units cover topics base on the acronym "BREATHE", which includes their "body, reflections, emotions, attention, tenderness, habits of a healthy mind, and empowerment" (p.7). In this study, the intervention was delivered in 12 sessions, each of which included an introduction, group activities, discussion, and in-class mindfulness practice. Students were given CDs and workbooks to practice at home. (pp. 7-8)

Comparison Group

Students in the five comparison classrooms implemented the business-as-usual health curriculum. (p. 1)

Support for implementation

Health instructors who delivered the intervention received individual training on mindfulness exercises to help them establish a personal mindfulness practice prior to delivering L2B to students. These sessions included home work and journal writing to promote mindfulness practices. Teachers also participated in a two day training prior to implementing L2B, in which they were introduced to the curriculum, delivered practice lessons to small groups and received peer-feedback on those practice sessions, and received materials to help with time management and transitions when delivering the intervention. During implementation, teachers received weekly or bi-weekly feedback from an on-site coach. Finally, videotapes of classes were viewed either by the on-site coaches or by the program developer, and they used findings from these to provide feedback in 4-6 phone calls lasting about 60 minutes each. (pp. 11-12)

 

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This download will include data files for study and findings review data and a data dictionary.

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