Putting your mind at ease: findings from the Mindfulness Ambassador Council programme in Toronto area schools
| Pages | 376-392 |
| Date | 21 December 2015 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-10-2014-0046 |
| Published date | 21 December 2015 |
| Author | Tracy Smith-Carrier,Theo Koffler,Faye Mishna,Anna Wallwork,Joanne Daciuk,Jasmin Zeger |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Children's services |
Putting your mind at ease: findings from
the Mindfulness Ambassador Council
programme in Toronto area schools
Tracy Smith-Carrier, Theo Koffler, Faye Mishna, Anna Wallwork, Joanne Daciuk and
Jasmin Zeger
Tracy Smith-Carrier is Assistant
Professor at the School of
Social Work, King’s University
College at Western University,
London, Canada.
Theo Koffler is based at the
Mindfulness Without Borders,
San Francisco, California, USA.
Faye Mishna, Anna Wallwork
and Joanne Daciuk, all are
based at Factor-Inwentash
Faculty of Social Work,
University of Toronto, Toronto,
Canada.
Jasmin Zeger is based at the
Mindfulness Without Borders,
San Francisco, California, USA.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to gain understanding of the benefits and limitations of mindfulness
training among secondary school students and teachers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Design/methodology/approach –Using a case study methodology, the authors analysed programme
evaluation forms and conducted thematic analyses of focus groups with Catholic secondary school teachers
and students that participated in the Mindfulness Ambassador Council programme.
Findings –The findings suggest that mindfulness training may provide participants with opportunities for
personal growth, specifically in the areas of stress reduction, relaxation, social awareness, self-discovery and
relationship building.
Research limitations/implications –This study confirms existing literature that training in mindfulness
practice may be beneficial in strengthening relationships, reducing stress and anxiety and promoting inner
well-being and social-emotional learning in youth. To test these findings empirically, future research should
examine mindfulness training in schools using a robust randomised controlled trial design.
Practical implications –Given the current state of research on mindfulness-based interventions specifically
with the adolescent population, the study provides useful and timely data on participants’experiences
with mindfulness training, and discusses how such training can be effectively harnessed within secondary
school settings.
Originality/value –There is growing evidence that the regular practice of mindfulness has myriad
psychological, therapeutic and health benefits, and contributes to heightened emotional intelligence and
improved performance in a host of activities. Relatively little is known, however, about the effects of
mindfulness interventions on child and adolescent populations. The study contributes to the emerging
evidence on mindfulness practice with students in school settings.
Keywords Mindfulness, Educators, Adolescent populations, Mindfulness training, School settings,
Social and emotional learning
Paper type Case study
Introduction
There is now a sizeable body of evidence in support of mindfulness, operationally defined in
the literature as “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally
to the unfolding of experience moment by moment”(Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 145). Although
associated with a range of terminologies, Dimidjian and Linehan (2003) suggest that there are a
number of principles that would support an overarching conceptualisation of mindfulness
practice. This conceptualisation describes three activities that individuals undertake when
practicing mindfulness: first, observing, perceiving, bringing awareness; second, describing,
Received 28 October 2014
Revised 9 April 2015
Accepted 5 May 2015
The authors thank students and
educators at the Toronto Catholic
District School Board for their
contributions to the study.
PAGE376
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JOURNAL OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES
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VOL. 10 NO. 4 2015, pp. 376-392, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-6660 DOI 10.1108/JCS-10-2014-0046
noting, labelling; and third, participating. These activities are performed: with acceptance,
nonjudgementally; in the present moment; and effectively. Using a case study methodology, this
study explores the benefits and limitations of a mindfulness training programme (the Mindfulness
Ambassador Council (MAC)) using data collected from teachers and students in secondary
schools in Toronto, Canada.
Much of the literature on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) derives from studies conducted
with adults. A few earlier studies examining the effectiveness of MBIs in improving symptoms of
anxiety and depression in adults demonstratedequivocal results (see Toneattoand Nguyen, 2007)
when using mindfulness approaches specifically for stress reduction (MBSR). However, a more
recent meta-analysis by Khoury et al. (2013) that examined a range of physical, medical and
psychological conditions showed that mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) was more effective in
treating psychological disorders (i.e. studies specifically measuring depression and anxiety
generated moderate to large effect sizes, respectively) than medical or physical conditions,
although it was no more effective than traditionalcognitive behavioural therapy orpharmacological
treatments.A meta-analysis by Hofmann et al. (2010) alsofound that MBT had moderate effectsin
reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and even larger effects when treating anxiety and
mood disorders. However, in analysing studies with waitlist or treatment as usual controlled
studies, only small reductions in anxiety and depression were reported (Hofmann et al., 2010).
Similarly, ina meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of MBSRon patients with chronic somatic
diseases,Bohlmeijer et al. (2010) found only smalleffects on anxiety, depression andpsychological
distress. Although not a panacea for all ills, MBIs have been shown to produce some positive
outcomes in adults, particularly psychological and therapeutic benefits.
With respect to school-aged children and young people, the prevalence of mental health issues is
concerning (Patel et al., 2007) with epidemiological research estimating that across the globe,
up to 20 per cent of children and adolescents suffer from a disabling mental illness (Belfer, 2008).
Clearly, the range of emotional and social issues confronting young people has significant
impacts on their academic performance and motivation (Broderick and Metz, 2009; Mendelson
et al., 2010). Consequently, policy-makers, researchers and educators are increasingly calling for
evidence-based educational approaches that enhance students’academic motivation, school
performance, social-emotional skills both in and outside the classroom (Meiklejohn et al., 2012),
and general well-being in terms of the child as a whole (Huppert and Johnson, 2010; Rempel,
2012). School-based MBIs for children and youth are thus attractive because, as some
studies suggest, they hold promise in advancing healthy psychological functioning
(Beauchemin et al., 2008; Broderick and Me tz, 2009; Huppert and Johnson, 2010),
interpersonal development (Schonert-Reichl and Lawlor, 2010) and positive behaviours in the
classroom (Barnes et al., 2003).
Evidence is only now emerging on the effects of using MBIs with children and youth (Thompson
and Gauntlett-Gilbert, 2008; Wisner, 2014; Zack et al., 2014). The current state of research,
however, remains equivocal, appearing inconsistent and contingent on both the outcome
measures employed and the interventions depicted (Burke, 2010). Given that the few MBI studies
conducted with young people generally are dogged by design and methodological issues
(Greenberg and Harris, 2012), it may be premature to draw conclusions on the efficacy of such
interventions with these populations (Burke, 2010). The limited studies that are currently available
show only small to moderate effects, if any at all. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) by Napoli
et al. (2005) found significant improvements in non-clinical children’s self-rated anxiety, social skills
and selective attention scores, with effects sizes in the small to medium range (d¼0.39-0.60).
Black et al.’s (2009) review of sitting meditation interventions also showed small to moderate
improvements in children and adolescents’physiologic outco mes (d¼0.16-0.29) and
psychosocial and/or behavioural outcomes (d¼0.27-0.70). Moreover, Zoogman et al.’s (2014)
meta-analysis on MBIs with youth showed an overall small effect size (d¼0.227) over a range of
sub-samples and outcomes. For clinical samples, the effect size was close to three times the
magnitude of that found in non-clinical samples (d¼0.50 vs 0.197), albeit still in the moderate
range. This finding is consistent with Biegel et al.’s (2009) study which assessed the impact of
MBSR on adolescents with heterogeneous mental health diagnoses attending an outpatient
psychiatric facility; at follow-up this study found significant reductions in self-reported anxiety,
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