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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1503379
This article is part of the Research Topic Mind-body medicine and its impacts on psychological networks, quality of life, and health - Volume II View all 37 articles

The effect of a one-time mindfulness intervention on body and mind in healthy adolescents using multimodal measurements

Provisionally accepted
Angelika Ecker Angelika Ecker *Charlotte Fritsch Charlotte Fritsch Daniel Schleicher Daniel Schleicher Ricarda Jacob Ricarda Jacob Stephanie Kandsperger Stephanie Kandsperger Romuald Brunner Romuald Brunner Irina Jarvers Irina Jarvers
  • Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Mindfulness-based interventions can improve psychological well-being and reduce symptoms of mental burden, including among adolescents. Relationships between basic mindfulness (trait mindfulness) and the immediate effects of a single mindfulness intervention have not been thoroughly researched, especially in adolescents. In this study, we aimed to elucidate these aspects by using a multimodal approach-measuring the effect of a single mindfulness intervention on both subjective and physiological parameters.Methods: A total of 78 healthy adolescents (12-19 years of age, 50% female) were assigned to either a mindfulness or an active control group. Before and after the interventions, subjective parameters (mood, stress, and state mindfulness) were assessed using bipolar visual analogue scales. Physiological parameters (heart rate and heart rate variability) were measured before and during the interventions.Participants also completed the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-D) with the subscale "mindfulness" as an assessment of trait mindfulness, and the State-Trait Anxiety-Depression Inventory (STADI).Our results showed no significant interactions between time and intervention, either subjectively or physiologically. For heart rate, we found a main effect of time. For all subjective parameters, we observed a main effect of trait mindfulness. Age was a relevant factor for heart rate and state mindfulness, suggesting age effects. We also observed strong correlations between trait mindfulness, trait anxiety, and depression scores.A single mindfulness intervention had no immediate observable effects in our healthy adolescent sample, and possible reasons for this finding are discussed. Nevertheless, the present data show the potential for increased resilience through mindfulness in adolescence.

    Keywords: mindfulness, body scan, State mindfulness, mental burden, Heart Rate, Heart rate variability, adolescents

    Received: 28 Sep 2024; Accepted: 10 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ecker, Fritsch, Schleicher, Jacob, Kandsperger, Brunner and Jarvers. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Angelika Ecker, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.