scholarly journals Mindfulness and Education

Psychology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Weare ◽  
Felicia Huppert
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Function Learning ◽  
Contemplative Education ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms

This article focuses on the literature on mindfulness and mindfulness meditation with children and young people in schools and in higher education. It touches on mindfulness for adult educators including teachers and on the overlapping field of contemplative education in higher education. This is a selective guide to the theoretical, research, and practice-based literature in a rapidly evolving field and aimed at those unfamiliar with the territory. Work with young people cannot be understood in isolation, so the article begins by going back to first principles, looking at issues of definitions and origins of mindfulness from within ancient wisdom traditions, most particularly, but not exclusively, its Buddhist origins. It then contextualizes work with young people within the rapid rise of secular mindfulness for adult populations since the late 1970s, explores modern scientifically based definitions, and the domination of the therapeutically based model of mindfulness as an “intervention,” touching on some concerns and critiques, and outlining how mindfulness is currently being measured in adults and young people. It moves on to an account of overviews of mindfulness in education, citing the best of the plethora of guidance on how mindfulness might be implemented in schools, universities, and classrooms. It outlines the key literature on the rapidly expanding world of contemplative education, which is asking rather different questions to those raised by the model of mindfulness as an “intervention,” being more firmly based in philosophical and educational approaches. The world of classroom curricula is a burgeoning and lively one, and the article cites some of the best evidenced and most positively reviewed resources. There is a growing and promising evidence base to guide the field, and the last part of the article outlines the main reviews, which between them suggest there is a small to moderate impact of mindfulness when well taught and implemented. The article concludes by looking in more detail at the core literature in main areas in which mindfulness appears to be showing impact, including: psycho-social well-being and mental health; social and emotional skills including compassion and kindness; cognition, executive function, learning, and academic attainment; and physical health. See also the Oxford Bibliographies article in Education, “Mindfulness, Learning, and Education,” which has overlaps with this article, but explores in more detail definitions, overviews and websites and the implications for learning, while this article has a stronger focus on psychological mechanisms, measurement, and the empirical evidence base. They are probably best consulted together for a full understanding.

Therapeutic Affordances of Social Media and Associated Quality of Life Outcomes in Young Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 089443932110329
Author(s):  
Paul Dodemaide ◽  
Mark Merolli ◽  
Nicole Hill ◽  
Lynette Joubert
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Perceived Quality Of Life ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Relationship

There is a growing body of literature exploring the general population’s use of social media for assistance in dealing with stigmatized health issues. This study presents novel research examining the relationship between social media use and young adults. It utilizes a therapeutic affordance (TA) framework. Quantitative results from this study are complemented by qualitative data. The relationships between distinct social media and their TA (a–b) are presented to highlight their potential to impact positively on social and emotional well-being outcomes. Evidence includes broad support for “connection,” “narration,” and “collaboration” TAs in this context and the relationship between the use of distinct social media and perceived quality of life (QOL) outcomes (a–c). TA provides an appropriate and valuable theoretical framework which is useful for the development of an evidence-base from the analysis of young adult’s social media usage. An analysis of the association between social media and their QOL outcomes is presented according to the TA relationship pathway (a–c–b). The adoption of a TA framework enables a nuanced analysis of significant associations between specific social media, TA, and improved QOL outcomes. This study demonstrates the significant association between social media and perceived QOL outcomes in young adults.

scholarly journals A Model of Psychological Mechanisms of Inclusive Music-Making: Empowerment of Marginalized Young People

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 205920432110597
Author(s):  
Maruša Levstek ◽  
Robin Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Youth Empowerment ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Future Work

Adopting a mixed-methods research design, this study explored the psychological experiences of marginalized young people participating in inclusive music projects, with attention to inter- and intra-personal outcomes and underlying mechanisms. We worked with four different music projects, aimed at young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. With a total sample of 134 young people, parents, and creative practitioners, we used quantitative analyses of retrospective surveys to assess staff members’ perceptions of changes evident in individual young people (n1(total) = 99, n1(female) = 39, n1(male) = 59, n1(non-binary) = 1, mean age = 15.59). We performed thematic analysis on eleven semi-structured focus group discussions conducted with the young people (n2  =  26), their parents (n3  =  14), and staff members (n3  =  21), and 82 session reports completed by the staff members after each session. Growth over time in both intra-personal and inter-personal dimensions of functioning was observed, with qualitative data illuminating possible environmental and psychological mechanisms via two overarching themes of “ Self-Development” and “ Social Acknowledgement”. These results are collated in the model of youth empowerment, and its relevance to marginalized groups of young people is highlighted through promotion of active agency and empowerment. The model is interpreted in the light of several psychological theories of well-being, particularly self-determination theory and access-awareness-agency model, and implications for future work are discussed.

scholarly journals Evaluation of ReachOut.com, an Unstructured Digital Youth Mental Health Intervention: Prospective Cohort Study

10.2196/21280 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e21280
Author(s):  
Bianca Lorraine Kahl ◽  
Hilary May Miller ◽  
Kathryn Cairns ◽  
Hayley Giniunas ◽  
Mariesa Nicholas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Intervention

Background Young people experience a disproportionate burden associated with mental illness that Australia’s mental health care system is ill-equipped to handle. Despite improvements in the provision of mental health services, the rates of service utilization among young people remain suboptimal, and there are still considerable barriers to seeking help. Digital mental health services can overcome a number of barriers and connect young people requiring support; however, the evidence base of digital interventions is limited. Objective The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a brief, self-directed, unstructured digital intervention, ReachOut.com (hereafter ReachOut), in reducing depression, anxiety, stress, and risk of suicide. Methods A cohort of 1982 ReachOut users participated in a 12-week longitudinal study, with a retention rate of 81.18% (1609/1982) across the duration of the study. Participants completed web-based surveys, with outcome measures of mental health status and suicide risk assessed at 3 time points across the study period. Results The results demonstrated that over the 12-week study period, young people using ReachOut experienced modest yet significant reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Significant, albeit modest, reductions in the proportion of participants at high risk of suicide were also observed. Conclusions The findings of this research provide preliminary evidence of the promise of an unstructured digital mental health intervention, ReachOut, in alleviating symptoms of mental ill-health and promoting well-being in young people. These findings are particularly important given that digital services are not only acceptable and accessible but also have the potential to cater to the diverse mental health needs of young people at scale, in a way that other services cannot.

scholarly journals FASION AS THE MEANS OF PERSONALITY SELF-IDENTITY

2021 ◽  
pp. 42-52
Author(s):  
Iryna Hrynyk
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Individual Identification ◽  
Self Presentation ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. The article carries out theoretical and empirical analysis of features of personality᾿s self-identity by means of fashion. It presents theoretical analysis of the main approaches to the interpretation of fashion and its evolution in the process of social development and describes the content characteristics of fashion as a social and psychological phenomenon and its impact on the individual identification and self-presentation. It has been determined that fashion is an important mechanism of self-presentation and identification of the individual with a certain social group. The author clarifies the scale of the fashion influence on the self-identification and self-presentation of the personality and its possible consequence revealing the psychological mechanisms of young people᾿s interest in modern fashion. The empirical study of the role and influence of fashion on self-presentation among students has been carried out. According to quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results obtained factors and the relationship between them have been singled out, which are the key to the self-identity of personality. It is confirmed that the studied groups of students perceive fashion as a means to emphasize their individuality; they have a clear need for material well-being, prestige, popularity.

scholarly journals Building Resilience Through Sport in Young People With Adverse Childhood Experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth Norris ◽  
Heather Norris
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Sporting Activities ◽  
Sport And Exercise ◽  
Review Current

Interventions focused on young people at risk of anti-social and criminal behaviour frequently involve physical exercise and/or participation in sporting activities as a primary vehicle to bring about behavioural change in both the short to medium term. Anecdotal evidence suggests that sporting activities positively influence individual well-being alongside a sense of purpose and belonging centred around sporting clubs and activities. Empirically, participation in sport has been identified as a key resilience factor for young people with numerous Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and investment and policy initiatives target investment in these opportunities. However, the psychological mechanisms which underpin these improvements in well-being and building of resilience are less clearly articulated. This article will review current and developing research in this field to synthesise future applications of sport-related interventions with young people, with a particular emphasis on furthering understanding of the pathways to capacity building at individual and community level which sport and exercise can generate.

Student Lives in Crisis

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenza Antonucci
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Young People ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
General Trend ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Student Debt ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Family Resources ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Family State

With rising levels of student debt and precarity, young people’s lives in university are not always smooth. Lorenza Antonucci has travelled across England, Italy and Sweden to understand how inequality is reproduced through university. This book provides a compelling narrative of what it means to be in university in Europe in the 21st century, not only in terms of education, but also in terms of finances, housing and well-being. Furthermore, this book shows how inequality is reproduced during university by how young people from different social classes combine family, state and labour market sources. The book identifies different profiles of young people’s experiences in university, from ‘Struggling and hopeless’ to ‘Having a great time’. Furthermore, the book discusses how the ‘welfare mixes’ present in the three countries determine different types of semi-dependence, and reinforce inequalities. The book identifies a general trend of privatisation of student support in higher education, which pushes young people to participate in the labour market and over-rely on family resources in order to sustain their participation in university. Not only does this protract young people’s semi-dependence, but it also increases inequality among different groups of young people. In addition to the current policy focus on access to higher education, and transitions to the labour market, the book calls for a greater attention on the policies that can change young people’s lives while in university.

scholarly journals Increase of the crew’s well-being and reduction of stress

2019 ◽  
Vol XXII (1) ◽  
pp. 83-90
Author(s):  
Georgieva D.
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Preliminary Training ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Shipping Company ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Negative Effect

In 2017-2018 the International Marine Organization (IMO) puts in foreground the increase of well-being and mental health of the crew. The goal of the current scientific message is to represent the peculiarities and specifics of the marine profession, the stress factors and their negative effect on health, and the measures of prevention and dealing with stress. The members of the crew are exposed to a variety of predicaments that occur from the specifics of working in marine environment. The disturbing trends in the increasing number of the seafarers, who are affected by the negative aftermath of stress in the last few years, imposes the necessity of undertaking a number of real actions by employers. The lack of a doctor and psychologist on the ships imposes the necessity of performing a number of actions, which guarantee the health, and both the physical and mental safety of the seafarers. The prevention, preliminary training and courses need to be directed to maximal awareness and encouraging the use of the developed specialized programs for well-being, recognizance of the first mental changes in seafarers, the ways of help and self-help, forming and developing social and emotional intelligence. The investment in people’s well-being would surely provide a competitive advantage in the shipping company, and give a direct impact in both turnover, and career perspective of young people who have chosen one of the most difficult and dangerous, but significant occupations.

Russian and foreign sociological longitudinal studies of educational and professional trajectories of youth

2021 ◽  
pp. 143-156
Author(s):  
М.А. Курганов
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Young People ◽  
Longitudinal Studies ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Educational Trajectories

В статье представлен аналитический обзор современных социологических лонгитюдных исследований образовательных траекторий молодeжи, которые проводятся в России, США и странах Европейского союза. Сравниваются цели, задачи, характеристики выборок исследований. Рассматриваются методологические особенности изучения траекторий молодых людей в образовательных системах и на рынке труда. Затрагиваются основные аспекты исследований образовательных траекторий и карьерных путей, находящиеся в фокусе внимания социологов: гендерные, этнические, социально-экономические и психологические. Приводятся выводы, полученные в ходе проведeнного исследования. Его результатом стало понимание, что западные и отечественные лонгитюдные исследования образовательных траекторий сходятся в том, что социальное положение, материальное благополучие, а также «образовательный опыт» родителей или же других членов семьи, оказывают большое влияние на принятие решений молодыми людьми относительно их дальнейшей образовательной и профессиональной карьеры. В контексте разных стран и планов исследований — описания образовательных траекторий студентов, прогнозного определения лиц, выбирающих тот или иной путь карьерного роста, последовательной реконструкции траекторий — было обнаружено, что малоресурсные группы в высшем образовании, такие как студенты из неблагополучных семей, следуют менее линейным и менее плавным траекториям в сфере высшего образования. Российские исследования отличает то, что они рассматривают и изучают образовательные и профессиональные траектории в тесной связке друг с другом, а также фокусируются на проблеме взаимосвязи между социально-экономическими факторами и индивидуальным выбором. Вместе с тем ощущается недостаток комплексного изучения нематериальных и некогнитивных факторов, влияющих на принятие решений в ответственный момент перехода к профессиональному образованию или же из системы образования на рынок труда. The article presents an analytical review of modern sociological longitudinal studies of educational trajectories of young people, which are conducted in Russia, the United States and the countries of the European Union. The goals, objectives, and characteristics of the research samples are compared. The methodological features of studying the trajectories of young people in educational systems and in the labor market are considered. The main aspects of the research of educational trajectories and career paths that are in the focus of sociologists ‘ attention are touched upon: gender, ethnic, socio-economic and psychological. The conclusions obtained in the course of the study are presented. It resulted in the understanding that Western and domestic longitudinal studies of educational trajectories agree that the social status, material well-being, as well as the “educational experience” of parents or other family members, have a great influence on the decision-making of young people regarding their further educational and professional career. In the context of different countries and research plans-describing the educational trajectories of students, predictive determination of people choosing a particular career path, consistent reconstruction of trajectories — it was found that low-resource groups in higher education, such as students from disadvantaged families, follow less linear and less smooth trajectories in higher education. Russian studies are distinguished by the fact that they consider and study educational and professional trajectories in close connection with each other, and also focus on the problem of the relationship between socio-economic factors and individual choice. At the same time, there is a lack of a comprehensive study of non-material and non-cognitive factors that influence decision-making at the crucial moment of transition to vocational education or from the education system to the labor market.

scholarly journals A cluster randomised controlled trial and evaluation and cost-effectiveness analysis of the Roots of Empathy schools-based programme for improving social and emotional well-being outcomes among 8- to 9-year-olds in Northern Ireland

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Connolly ◽  
Sarah Miller ◽  
Frank Kee ◽  
Seaneen Sloan ◽  
Aideen Gildea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Research ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Test Time ◽  
Prosocial Behaviour ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Post Test

Background There is growing consensus regarding the importance of attending to children’s social and emotional well-being. There is now a substantial evidence base demonstrating the links between a child’s early social and emotional development and a range of key longer-term education, social and health outcomes. Universal school-based interventions provide a significant opportunity for early intervention in this area and yet the existing evidence base, particularly in relation to their long-term effects, is limited. Objectives and main outcomes To determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Roots of Empathy (ROE), a universal school-based programme that, through attempting to enhance children’s empathy, seeks to achieve the following two main outcomes: improvement in prosocial behaviour and reduction in difficult behaviour. Design A cluster randomised controlled trial and an economic evaluation. A total of 74 primary schools were randomly assigned to deliver ROE or to join a waiting list control group. Seven schools withdrew post randomisation and a further two withdrew before the immediate post-test time point. Children (n = 1278) were measured pre test and immediately post test, and then for 3 years following the end of the programme. Data were also collected from teachers and parents. Setting and participants The intervention schools delivered ROE to their Year 5 children (aged 8–9 years) as a whole class. Intervention ROE is delivered on a whole-class basis for one academic year (October–June). It consists of 27 lessons based around the monthly visit from a baby and parent who are usually recruited from the local community. Children learn about the baby’s growth and development and are encouraged to generalise from this to develop empathy towards others. Results Although it was developed in Canada, the programme was very well received by schools, parents and children, and it was delivered effectively with high fidelity. ROE was also found to be effective in achieving small improvements in children’s prosocial behaviour (Hedges’ g = 0.20; p = 0.045) and reductions in their difficult behaviour (Hedges’ g = –0.16; p = 0.060) immediately post test. Although the gains in prosocial behaviour were not sustained after the immediately post-test time point, there was some tentative evidence that the effects associated with reductions in difficult behaviour may have remained up to 36 months from the end of the programme. These positive effects of ROE on children’s behaviour were not found to be associated with improvements in empathy or other social and emotional skills (such as emotional recognition and emotional regulation), on which the trial found no evidence of ROE having an effect. The study also found that ROE was likely to be cost-effective in line with national guidelines. Conclusions These findings are consistent with those of other evaluations of ROE and suggest that it is an effective and cost-effective programme that can be delivered appropriately and effectively in regions such as Northern Ireland. A number of issues for further consideration are raised regarding opportunities to enhance the role of parents; how a time-limited programme such as ROE can form part of a wider and progressive curriculum in schools to build on and sustain children’s social and emotional development; and the need to develop a better theory of change for how ROE works. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN07540423. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 6, No. 4. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

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