PRELIMINARY PHASE FINDINGS FOR APPLICABILITY OF MINDFULNESS BASED TRAINING ON PERCEIVED STRESS & MINDFUL AWARENESS OF HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS abstract

Background: Training programs based on Mindfulness are practices that develop an ability to sustain attention in the present moment non-judgmentally. Such programs have effectively been used on adults for handling daily life stress, and it has been argued that they could be used effectively on the child population as well. The present study used the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) module of John Kabat-Zinn, which has been tailored, as per need and applicability, for school students. Aim: The broad aim was to explore the applicability of Mindfulness Training on Perceived Stress and Mindful awareness of higher secondary school students in school settings. Methods and Materials: 10 students of class 10-12 studying in Aizawl city of Mizoram, India, aged 16-18 years, who signed informed assent, were selected using purposive sampling and divided into ‘Training and Normal Control’ groups, having 5 students each, after screening for the presence of any psychiatric condition. Baseline assessments on MAAS-A and PSS were done for all participants; thereafter, seven MBSR sessions were provided to the participants of the ‘Training group’, followed by homework assignments. No such training was provided to the ‘Normal Control’ group. After completion of 7 7-week duration, both groups were re-assessed using the same psychological tools, and the results were compared. Results: Findings indicated significant differences between the compared groups on outcome measures, with noticeable improvement in the perceived stress experiences and mindful awareness in the participants of the group that received Mindfulness training. Conclusion: The study concluded that Mindfulness training would be helpful in decreasing stress, improving mindful awareness, and facilitating the overall learning process for school students.