The Impact of a Schoolwide Mindfulness Program on Adolescent Well-Being, Stress, and Emotion Regulation: A Nonrandomized Controlled Study in a Naturalistic Setting

Abstract

Few studies have explored large, school-wide mindfulness programs targeted at adolescents in naturalistic settings, while still including key design elements like control groups. The authors explored the impact of a six-week large-scale mindfulness program in a high school setting on adolescent participants’ subjective wellbeing, perceived stress, and emotion regulation. Participants were divided into control and treatment groups and completed pre- and post-tests on the various outcomes. Participation in the program was associated with a significant decline in perceived stress, although the effect size was small, potentially because of limitations associated with the naturalistic setting. Suggestions for future research linking mindfulness programs to adolescent mental health are discussed.