Mark Greenberg

School-based mindfulness trainings (SBMT) are a contemporary approach for intervening to promote students' social and emotional skills and well-being. Despite evidence from the larger field of evidence-based social and emotional learning programs demonstrating the importance of high-quality implementation, few studies have investigated factors impacting the implementation of SBMTs, particularly teacher-level influences. The present study addressed this issue by investigating whether teachers' stress, trust in their fellow teachers and principal, and expectations about the program at baseline predicted the quality of their implementation of a SBMT for students. In addition, we examined whether teachers' stress at baseline moderated the effect of training condition on implementation quality. Implementation quality was assessed via observations and teacher self-reports. Results from a sample of British …

ObjectiveAdolescence is a key developmental window that may determine long-term mental health. As schools may influence mental health of students, this study aimed to examine the association of school-level characteristics with students’ mental health over time.MethodLongitudinal data from a cluster randomized controlled trial comprising 8,376 students (55% female; aged 11-14 years at baseline) across 84 schools in the United Kingdom were analyzed. Data collection started in the academic years 2016/2017 (cohort 1) and 2017/2018 (cohort 2), with follow-up at 1, 1.5, and 2 years. Students’ mental health (risk for depression [Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale], social-emotional-behavioral difficulties [Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire]) and well-being (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale) and relationships with student- and school-level characteristics were explored using …

Background Both transactional and common etiological models have been proposed as explanations of why externalizing behavior problems (EBP) and internalizing behavior problems (IBP) co‐occur in children. Yet little research has empirically evaluated these competing theoretical explanations. We examined whether EBP and IBP are transactionally related at the within‐child level while also identifying antecedents commonly associated with between‐child differences in underlying stability of both EBP and IBP across elementary school. Methods We analyzed a nationally representative and longitudinal sample of US schoolchildren (N = 7,326; 51% male) using random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel modeling (RI‐CLPM). We used teacher ratings of EBP and IBP as annually assessed from the spring of kindergarten (Mage = 6.12 years) through the spring of 5th grade (Mage = 11.09 years). Early …

Emerging literature in the 1990s highlighted the need to rigorously test the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) delivered by community-based coalitions and partnerships. This chapter refines and tests a partnership-based delivery system for sustained, high-quality implementation of youth and family EBIs designed to reduce youth substance misuse and associated problem behaviors; the delivery system is called PROSPER (Promoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience). PROSPER was designed to be integrated within a state's Cooperative Extension System, which is the land grant university system for outreach and knowledge transfer that has reach into all counties in every state. It describes (1) the knowledge gaps addressed by the PROSPER prevention trial;(2) the conceptual underpinnings of PROSPER's intervention model and posited pathways of …

The notion of educating the "whole child" generally includes at least the abilities to (1) develop healthy personal relationships; (2) treat others with respect and dignity; (3) develop the cognitive capacity to solve problems and think creatively; (4) succeed in postsecondary education and the labor market; and (5) be a contributing citizen in a democracy. To nurture these capacities, schools should be healthy, caring spaces that create a climate of support for equitable pathways for children to reach these goals while also creating a challenging and dynamic learning environment. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical for the development of these capacities. In 2017, the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development convened a 28-member Council of Distinguished Scientists to examine the relevant evidence regarding SEL across a range of disciplines. The council concluded that social and emotional competencies are essential to learning; positive

Mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) for teachers can improve classroom interactions, teacher mindfulness, and well-being, yet whether teacher focused MBIs also benefit children remains largely unexplored. This cluster randomized trial with 36 urban elementary schools, 224 K-5th grade teachers (Mage = 41.5) and 5200 children (Mage = 7.7 years, tested direct and moderated effects of the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) professional development program on eight child academic and social emotional outcomes, most teacher-reported. Positive effects of CARE were found for engagement in learning, motivation for learning, and reading competence. CARE was unexpectedly related to increased conflict. CARE teachers initially low in mindfulness reported children as higher on engagement, motivation, reading competence, and math competence compared to children of control …

Reports an error in" Implementation reporting recommendations for school-based mindfulness programs" by Rebecca N. Baelen, Laura F. Gould, Joshua C. Felver, Deborah L. Schussler and Mark T. Greenberg (Mindfulness, Advanced Online Publication, Oct 18, 2022, np). In the original article, there were errors in one of the references. The corrected reference is presented in the erratum.(The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2023-12454-001). Objectives Research on school-based mindfulness programs (SBMPs) indicates promising, albeit mixed, effects. However, there has been a lack of consistency and completeness in implementation reporting, frustrating efforts to draw causal inferences about the implementation elements that influence program outcomes. To address these issues, we crafted a conceptual framework with an accompanying set of key terms for SBMP implementation …

ImportanceAs young people’s mental health difficulties increase, understanding risk and resilience factors under challenging circumstances becomes critical.ObjectiveTo explore the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic on secondary school students’ mental health difficulties, as well as the associations with individual, family, friendship, and school characteristics.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsFor this cohort study, follow-up data from the My Resilience in Adolescence (MYRIAD) cluster randomized clinical trial were collected across 2 representative UK cohorts. Mainstream UK secondary schools with a strategy and structure to deliver social-emotional learning, with an appointed head teacher, and that were not rated “inadequate” in their latest official inspection were recruited. A total of 5663 schools were approached, 532 showed interest, and 84 consented. Cohort 1 included 12 schools and 864 students, and …

ObjectivesThis paper describes the emergence of the scientific study of mindfulness in schools; summarizes findings of experimental research on the impacts of school-based mindfulness programs (SBMPs) on student outcomes in prekindergarten, primary, and secondary school settings (ages 4–18 years); discusses scientific limitations and wider critiques of this work; and offers suggestions for future research.MethodsPublic data are used to describe the emergence of science on SBMPs, the foci of this research, and the academic disciplines contributing to it. A narrative summary of scientific findings regarding the impacts of SBMPs on students, and critiques of this work, is also presented.ResultsResearch is increasing and is primarily psychological and prevention-oriented. Evidence shows SBMPs can enhance students’ self-regulation abilities, but SBMPs’ impacts on other student outcomes at different ages are …

Myrna Shure made extraordinary contributions to research and practice during a career that lasted for 55 years, concluding with her passing on January 3, 2023. With George Spivack, Myrna Shure created the acclaimed and research-validated Interpersonal Cognitive Problem Solving SEL curriculum. Keeping the ICPS acronym, the program name was changed to I Can Problem Solve and expanded to include a component for parents, Raising A Thinking Child. Focusing on teaching children how to think, not what to think, ICPS begins in Preschool and continues through the elementary school years. It is a CASEL SELect program and one of the most widely used and well respected SEL programs nationally and internationally. This article reviews Myrna Shure’s contributions and legacy and concludes with two anecdotes from cherished colleagues.

ObjectivesThe implementation of mindfulness-based programming/interventions (MBP) for youth, and corresponding research, has proliferated in recent years. Although preliminary evidence is promising, one pressing concern is that the heterogeneity of MBP for youth makes it difficult to infer the essential constituent program elements that may be driving specified outcomes (i.e., core program components (CPCs)).MethodsThis research employed the Delphi method to survey expert MBP scientists and instructors to identify consensus of CPCs of MBP for youth.ResultsThe study’s advisory board identified scientists based on topical publication record and peer nomination. Delphi Round 1 surveyed scientists (n = 19) to name and define potential CPCs of MBP for youth; responses were qualitatively analyzed yielding 22 MBP categorical codes. Delphi Round 2 recruited MBP instructors (n = 21) identified by …

The present study examined the impact of the CASEL School Guide, an innovative model of implementation support for systemic SEL, on the social, emotional, and academic development of elementary grade students in schools implementing the evidence-based PATHS® Program. The study tested a 2-year intervention model in a cluster randomized design with 28 low-performing, urban, high-poverty elementary schools. We expected that the School Guide model of support would promote greater fidelity of PATHS implementation by teachers and improvement in students' social-emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes compared to schools delivering PATHS with the standard model of support. We examined whether staff perceptions of administrative social-emotional leadership at baseline had a direct effect on outcomes and moderated the effect of the School Guide. The analytic approach included 3-level …

ObjectivesResearch on school-based mindfulness programs (SBMPs) indicates promising, albeit mixed, effects. However, there has been a lack of consistency and completeness in implementation reporting, frustrating efforts to draw causal inferences about the implementation elements that influence program outcomes. To address these issues, we crafted a conceptual framework with an accompanying set of key terms for SBMP implementation elements to guide the development of flexible and practical implementation reporting recommendations for studies of SBMPs.MethodsTo develop the framework and recommendations, we drew insights from the implementation science and school-based prevention literature, explored reporting standards across behavioral science fields, and examined reviews and studies of SBMPs that had an implementation focus.ResultsThe SBMP Implementation Framework (SBMP-IF …

ObjectiveThis study explores whether variability in the implementation of an undergraduate course on human flourishing is differentially associated with student outcomes.Participants101 students in the “Art and Science of Human Flourishing” course across three large, public, R1 universities in Fall 2018 participated in the study.MethodsFormative course data included researcher observations of weekly class pedagogy, students’ weekly meditation practice logs and end-of-course assessments, and pre/post surveys measuring changes in participating students’ outcomes related to flourishing (e.g., attentional skills, social-emotional skills, perspectives on flourishing, mental and physical health).ResultsAlthough course pedagogy and student engagement varied across the three universities, students’ outcomes were nonetheless similar.ConclusionsVariability in course implementation did not appear to differentially …

ObjectiveWe explored what predicts secondary school students’ mindfulness practice and responsiveness to universal school-based mindfulness training (SBMT), and how students experience SBMT.MethodA mixed-methods design was used. Participants were 4,232 students (11-13 years of age), in 43 UK secondary schools, who received universal SBMT (ie, “.b” program), within the MYRIAD trial (ISRCTN86619085). Following previous research, student, teacher, school, and implementation factors were evaluated as potential predictors of students’ out-of-school mindfulness practice and responsiveness (ie, interest in and attitudes toward SBMT), using mixed-effects linear regression. We explored pupils’ SBMT experiences using thematic content analysis of their answers to 2 free-response questions, 1 question focused on positive experiences and 1 question on difficulties/challenges.ResultsStudents reported …

This study evaluated emerging adult effects of the PROmoting School‐Community‐University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) universal prevention delivery system implemented in middle schools. Twenty‐eight rural school districts were randomized to intervention and control conditions, with 1985 nineteen‐year‐old participants (90.6% White, 54.1% female) evaluated through age 25. Intent‐to‐treat, multi‐level, point‐in‐time analyses of covariance and growth analyses were conducted. Outcomes were assessed with self‐report measures of substance misuse (lifetime, current, frequency) and conduct problem behaviors. Analyses showed very limited point‐in‐time effects; there were growth pattern effects on measures of illicit drugs, non‐prescribed drugs, cigarettes, and drug problems. When risk moderation was observed, it favored higher‐risk participants. These emerging adult effects concerning …

ObjectivesSignificant concerns have been raised about the “mental health crisis” on college campuses, with attention turning to what colleges can do beyond counseling services to address students’ mental health and well-being. We examined whether primarily first-year (89.1%) undergraduate students (n = 651) who enrolled in the Art and Science of Human Flourishing (ASHF), a novel academic and experiential for-credit elective course on human flourishing, would demonstrate improved mental health and strengthen skills, perspectives, and behaviors associated with flourishing relative to students who did not enroll in this course.MethodsIn a two-wave, multi-site, propensity-score matched controlled trial (ASHF n = 217, control n = 434; N = 651), we used hierarchal linear models and false discovery rate corrected doubly robust estimates to evaluate the impact of the ASHF on attention and social …

ObjectivesWe examined 3-month effects of a mindfulness-based intervention with first-year college students. First, we evaluated the intervention effects on measures of life satisfaction and distress. Second, we examined the potential mediators of these effects, in particular a change in mindfulness states and the use of mindfulness practice after the intervention was completed.MethodsThe study recruited 109 first-year undergraduates at a large, public university living in the residential halls (M age = 18.2 years, SD = 0.4, 66% females). The sample was randomized to an intervention and control group and 3 months after the end of the intervention both groups completed follow-up.ResultsWe found intervention effects on distress and life satisfaction at the 3-month follow-up, controlling for gender and attendance of therapy before college (distress: Beta =  − 0.177, SE = 0.092, p = 0.055, life satisfaction: Beta …

BackgroundPreventing mental health problems in early adolescence is a priority. School-based mindfulness training (SBMT) is an approach with mixed evidence.ObjectivesTo explore for whom SBMT does/does not work and what influences outcomes.MethodsThe My Resilience in Adolescence was a parallel-group, cluster randomised controlled trial (K=84 secondary schools; n=8376 students, age: 11–13) recruiting schools that provided standard social–emotional learning. Schools were randomised 1:1 to continue this provision (control/teaching as usual (TAU)), and/or to offer SBMT (‘.b’ (intervention)). Risk of depression, social–emotional–behavioural functioning and well-being were measured at baseline, preintervention, post intervention and 1 year follow-up. Hypothesised moderators, implementation factors and mediators were analysed using mixed effects linear regressions, instrumental variable methods …

The purpose of this brief is to introduce a developmental framework for states working to systematically integrate evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) with career and workforce development efforts. Career and workforce development is a well-known, nonpartisan strategy for preparing students for postsecondary success in schools. According to the Coalition for Career Development Center (CCD), career development is "a process that informs individuals about career opportunities, helps them identify their talent, become aware of how their talent transfers into a wide range of occupational opportunities and enables them to make effective decisions on the academic and postsecondary pathways that will enable them to pursue their career and life goals" (CCD, 2021). Adopting this definition, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) uses the term "career and workforce development" to capture the diversity of approaches and efforts

BackgroundSystematic reviews suggest school-based mindfulness training (SBMT) shows promise in promoting student mental health.ObjectiveThe My Resilience in Adolescence (MYRIAD) Trial evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of SBMT compared with teaching-as-usual (TAU).MethodsMYRIAD was a parallel group, cluster-randomised controlled trial. Eighty-five eligible schools consented and were randomised 1:1 to TAU (43 schools, 4232 students) or SBMT (42 schools, 4144 students), stratified by school size, quality, type, deprivation and region. Schools and students (mean (SD); age range=12.2 (0.6); 11–14 years) were broadly UK population-representative. Forty-three schools (n=3678 pupils; 86.9%) delivering SBMT, and 41 schools (n=3572; 86.2%) delivering TAU, provided primary end-point data. SBMT comprised 10 lessons of psychoeducation and mindfulness practices. TAU …

ObjectiveLittle is known about the process by which teachers learn the skills necessary to teach a school-based mindfulness program (SBMP), including how they come to understand and embody mindfulness. The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to explore how teachers experienced implementing an SBMP over time, including their embodiment of mindfulness. Specifically, this study investigated whether teachers experienced any shifts in their thinking or pedagogy that coincided with developing embodiment of mindfulness.MethodsData included in-depth, semi-structured interviews spanning 12–20 months with three 11th grade health teachers to capture their perspectives at three to four time points during their professional development and implementation of the SBMP Learning to BREATHE (L2B). Thematic analysis identified themes that described teachers’ experiences over time, with particular …

There is evidence that universal school-based mindfulness training (SBMT) can have positive effects for young people. However, it is unknown who benefits most from such training, how training exerts effects, and how implementation impacts effects. This study aimed to provide an overview of the evidence on the mediators, moderators, and implementation factors of SBMT, and propose a conceptual model that can be used both to summarize the evidence and provide a framework for future research. A scoping review was performed, and six databases and grey literature were searched. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select relevant material. Quantitative and qualitative information was extracted from eligible articles and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The search produced 5479 articles, of which 31 were eligible and included in the review. Eleven studies assessed moderators …

There are fewer evidence-based social and emotional learning programs for middle school students compared to younger grades. This randomized controlled trial tests the effectiveness of Facing History and Ourselves (hereafter, Facing History) with a sample of 694 (Facing History n = 437; Comparison n = 257) students from a low-resourced school district. Youth self-identified as female (59%), Black/African American (61%), Hispanic/Latinx (18%), White (2%), and multi-racial or some other race/ethnicity (19%). Intervention students perceived their classrooms as more caring and democratic than students in the comparison group. They reported higher levels of empathy, prosocial behavior, and stronger participatory citizenship beliefs. This study expands the evidence-based of effective SEL programs available to schools.

Acknowledgment of Reviewers of Volume 42 Acknowledgment of Reviewers of Volume 42 Full Text Vol.:(0123456789) Journal of Prevention (2022) 43:143–144 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-022-00667-2 1 Orlanda Maria da Silva Rodrigues da Cruz Bill Dejong James Derzon Denise Dickinson Julia Dickson-Gomez Geri R. Donenberg Laura Dykstra John Ecker Jessica Edwards Desiree Eide Reina Evans Samuel Field Elena Gervilla Adam Gilbertson Scott Graupensperger Mark Greenberg Frank Groves Joel Grube Tiki Gwynne Angela Haeny Alice Honig Lyndsey Hornbuckle Alvaro Iglesias-Puzas Ibidolapo T. Ijarotimi Katherine Kafonek Seth Kalichman Sepideh Kaviani Thomas Kelley Vincent M. Kiberu ACKNOWLEDGMENT Acknowledgment of Reviewers of Volume 42 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022 The editors would like to thank the reviewers who gave so freely of …

Social and emotional learning (SEL) has become more central to education because of demand from educators, parents, students, and business leaders alongside rigorous research showing broad, positive impacts for students and adults. However, all approaches to SEL are not equal. Systemic SEL is an approach to create equitable learning conditions that actively involve all Pre-K to Grade 12 students in learning and practicing social, emotional, and academic competencies. These conditions require aligned policies, resources, and actions at state and district levels that encourage local schools and communities to build the personal and professional capacities of adults to: implement and continuously improve evidence-based programs and practices; create an inclusive culture that fosters caring relationships and youth voice, agency, and character; and support coordinated school-family-community partnerships …

Objectives Mindful parenting and parenting cognitions likely have important linkages to each other and to parent-child communication, but these linkages have not been tested. In this article, we test the bidirectional linkages between mindful parenting and parenting cognitions (sense of competence, parent-centered attributions) and the underlying mediational processes that link them to parent-child communication (parental solicitation and youth disclosure). Methods Longitudinal, autoregressive cross-lagged models were run within a longitudinal sample of rural and suburban early adolescents and their mothers (n = 421; mean adolescent age = 12.14, 46% male, 73% white). Results Significant bidirectional linkages were found between mindful parenting and parenting cognitions across Time 1 and Time 2. Greater …

Background MYRIAD (My Resilience in Adolescence) is a superiority, parallel group, cluster randomised controlled trial designed to examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a mindfulness training (MT) programme, compared with normal social and emotional learning (SEL) school provision to enhance mental health, social-emotional-behavioural functioning and well-being in adolescence. The original trial protocol was published in Trials (accessible at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-017-1917-4 ). This included recruitment in two cohorts, enabling the learning from the smaller first cohort to be incorporated in the second cohort. Here we describe final amendments to the study protocol and discuss their underlying rationale. Methods Four major changes were introduced into the study protocol: (1) there were …

The last two decades have seen an assault on America’s public schools and their teachers as evidenced by their de-professionalization, assault on their unions, and immense philanthropic support for charters and vouchers (Ravitch, 2020). Teacher satisfaction has plummeted and many teachers left the profession out of frustration with the test accountability focus of educational policy and the narrowing of the curriculum (Greenberg, Brown & Abenavoli, 2016).During this same period, the goal of creating caring and responsible students began to gain significant attention through the effective research (Durlak et al., 2011) and advocacy of the field of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL; www. casel. com). However, until very recently, educators (teachers and other professional support staff in schools) were not a central focus for either research or policy in SEL. In 2009, we (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009) published a …

BackgroundWhilst growing research suggests that pain is associated with suicidality in adolescence, it remains unclear whether this relationship is moderated by co-morbid depressive symptoms. The present study aimed to investigate whether the pain-suicidality association is moderated by depressive symptoms.MethodsWe performed secondary analyses on cross-sectional, pre-intervention data from the ‘My Resilience in Adolescence’ [MYRIAD] trial (ISRCTN ref: 86619085; N=8072, 11-15 years). Using odds ratio tests and (moderated) network analyses, we investigated the relationship between pain and suicidality, after controlling for depression, anxiety, inhibitory control deficits and peer problems. We investigated whether depression moderates this relationship and explored gender differences.ResultsOverall, 20% of adolescents reported suicidality and 22% reported pain, whilst nine percent of adolescents …

This study evaluated how individuals’ own substance use and their perception of peers’ substance use predict each other across development from early adolescence to middle adulthood. Participants were from two longitudinal studies: Fast Track (FT; N = 463) and Child Development Project (CDP; N = 585). Participants reported on their own and peers’ substance use during early and middle adolescence and early adulthood, and their own substance use in middle adulthood. From adolescence to early adulthood, individuals’ reports of their own substance use in a given developmental period predicted reports of their peers’ substance use in the next developmental period more than peers’ substance use in a given developmental period predicted individuals’ own substance use in the next. In the higher-risk FT sample, individuals’ own substance use in early adulthood predicted alcohol, cannabis, and other …

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a manualized mindfulness-based program for adolescents, Learning to Breathe (L2B), on indicators of adolescent social-emotional well-being, mental health, substance use, and executive function.MethodsParticipants included 251 high school students attending an urban school district who were randomly assigned to required health education classes that offered L2B or the business-as-usual health curriculum.ResultsNo direct effects on self-report measures were found. Students exposed to L2B demonstrated significant improvements on executive functioning measures related to susceptibility to cognitive interference and working memory. Subsequent tests of moderation revealed beneficial program effects within the treatment group were dependent on rates of practice, and those that used L2B strategies regularly showed small-to-moderate …

ObjectiveRecent studies suggest mental health in youths is deteriorating. The current policy in the United Kingdom emphasizes the role of schools for mental health promotion and prevention, but little data exist on what aspects of schools influence mental health in pupils. This study explored school-level influences on the mental health of young people in a large school-based sample from the United Kingdom.MethodBaseline data from a large cluster randomized controlled trial collected between 2016 and 2018 from mainstream secondary schools selected to be representative in relation to their quality rating, size, deprivation, mixed or single-sex pupil population, and country were analyzed. Participants were pupils in their first or second year of secondary school. The study assessed whether school-level factors were associated with pupil mental health.ResultsThe study included 26,885 pupils (response rate = 90 …

Mindfulness training (MT) is considered appropriate for school teachers and enhances well-being. Most research has investigated the efficacy of instructor-led MT. However, little is known about the benefits of using self-taught formats, nor what the key mechanisms of change are that contribute to enhanced teacher well-being. This study compared instructor-led and self-taught MT based on a book (Williams & Penman, 2011) in a sample of secondary school teachers. We assessed expectancy, the degree to which participants believed the intervention was effective, their program engagement, well-being and psychological distress, and evaluated whether mindfulness and self-compassion skills acted as mediators of outcomes. In total, 206 teachers from 43 schools were randomized by school to an instructor-led or self-taught course—77% female, mean age 39 years (SD= 9.0). Both MT formats showed similar rates of …

Research on mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) for adolescents suggests improvements in stress, emotion regulation, and ability to perform some cognitive tasks. However, there is little research examining the contextual factors impacting why specific students experience particular changes and the process by which these changes occur. Responding to the NIH call for “n-of-1 studies” that examine how individuals respond to interventions, we conducted a systematic case study, following an intervention trial (Learning to BREATHE), to investigate how individual students experienced an MBP. Specifically, we examined how students’ participation impacted their perceived stress and well-being and why students chose to implement practices in their daily lives. Students in health classes at two diverse high schools completed quantitative self-report measures (pre-, post-, follow-up), qualitative interviews, and …

Deficits in social-emotional skills are common among students with (or at high-risk for) emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and they disrupt children’s functioning at school, impairing social, behavioral, and academic performance. This chapter provides an overview of the social-emotional skill deficits that are common among students with or at risk for EBD and describes the utility of a multi-tiered social-emotional skill training approach that includes tier one classroom-wide (and school-wide) programming along with tier two small group programming for children who need remedial support. The featured interventions include the Fast Track adaptation of the PATHS® Curriculum (Kusché, Greenberg, & CPPRG, 2011) as an exemplary tier one program and the Fast Track Friendship Group (Bierman et al., 2017) as a coordinated and complementary tier two program. Program content and implementation are …

Objective The current study examined the contributions of cultural and economic contexts and family, child, and parent characteristics to explain variation within and between mothers' and fathers' mental state talk (i.e., cognition, desire, modulation of assertion, and other mental state talk) to their 6‐month‐old infants. Background Growing evidence supports the importance of mental state talk for children, yet few studies have examined factors that might contribute to this type of verbal input. Method In a sample of 582 African American and European American mothers and 582 African American and European American fathers living in low‐wealth rural areas, we explored the extent to which cultural context (ethnicity), economic context (income), family characteristics (partners' use of mental state talk), child characteristics (gender, attention, distress to novelty), and parent characteristics (parental sensitivity) contribute …

The necessity to implement evidence-based programs to support the healthy development of youth and families is becoming part of national policy. Organizations that are not “ready” to do so will likely lose resources, disallowing them to serve as they have set out to do. Consequently, the current survey study draws from a national sample of Cooperative Extension personnel in 2009 to examine characteristics within their organizational context that facilitate successful change related to youth/family programming. Data were collected from 946 4-H/youth development or Family and Consumer Sciences employees at all levels. Self-reported indices of each state organization’s openness to change, leadership, morale, communication, and resources were constructed to assess the organizational context. Dependent variables included indicators of readiness to implement prevention and evidence-based programming. Results suggest that the organizational context was strongly associated with indicators of readiness for evidence-based prevention programming, and specifically, the clarity of communication was most important.

Objectives The initial results of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) designed for teachers have shown promise for promoting teachers’ social and emotional competencies, their health, and well-being. The present study examined the effectiveness of CARE for Teachers program outside the USA in the country of Croatia, Europe, through self-report assessment and collection of physiological data. Methods The sample included 54 teachers and other school personnel from public schools of which 25 were involved in the CARE for Teachers training. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures to assess mindfulness, burnout, self-compassion, and compassion. Non-ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate monitoring was also conducted. Results At the post-test, intervention had significant positive effects on self-compassion (d = .35, p = .043), and two of its subscales, common humanity (d …

Contemplative professional development interventions seek to help educators manage stress and improve emotion regulation, yet the mechanisms of action revealing how they result in positive psychological and physical outcomes remain unclear. Using focus groups based on levels of attendance, this qualitative study examined how educators with different levels of attendance perceived their experiences in Community Approach to Learning Mindfully (CALM), a mindfulness‐based yoga program. Using theory‐driven and data‐driven codes, two researchers adopted a thematic analytical approach to independently code interviews. Results suggest that individuals across all groups indicated participation in CALM stimulated awareness of some kind—somatic, emotional, or awareness of thought patterns. However, participants who attended more frequently were more likely to practice mindfulness informally during …

BackgroundThere is growing research support for the use of mindfulness training (MT) in schools, but almost no high-quality evidence about different training models for people wishing to teach mindfulness in this setting. Effective dissemination of MT relies on the development of scalable training routes.ObjectiveTo compare 4 training routes for school teachers wishing to deliver MT differing in intensity and potential scalability, considering teaching competency, training acceptability, and cost-effectiveness.MethodsSchools were randomized to an existing route comprising an 8-session instructor-led personal mindfulness course, combined with 4-day MT program training, or 1 of 3 more scalable, lower intensity, alternatives: an instructor-led personal mindfulness course combined with 1-day MT program training, a self-taught personal mindfulness course (delivered through a course book) combined with 4-day MT …

Objective Mindfulness training has been shown to reduce rates of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress, but its impact on stress and emotion regulation in real-world settings in the college-aged population is unknown. This study examines the effect of an 8-session-long mindfulness training on first-year college students’ daily experiences of stress and emotion regulation. Methods Fifty-two first-year students were randomized to the mindfulness training or the waitlist-control group during the fall academic semester. Before, during and after the trial, students completed 10 days of ecological momentary assessments (EMAs), reporting on family and school or work stress, negative emotion, rumination, and interference by unwanted thoughts and emotions up to four times a day. Multilevel regression analysis compared levels of momentary stress and emotion regulation difficulties, as well as the strength of the …

The current study examined unfolding relations among mothers’ mindful parenting, parent–adolescent recurrent conflict, and adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing problems. In a community sample of 117 families (31% black, Asian, American Indian, or Latino), parents and adolescents (52% female; average age = 12.13 years) were followed over 15 months. Parents answered questions about mindful parenting and recurrent conflict, and adolescents reported on their own externalizing and internalizing problems. Path analyses indicated that higher levels of mindful parenting were significantly related to lower levels of recurrent conflict 2–3 months later, controlling for previous levels of recurrent conflict. Moreover, lower levels of recurrent conflict were significantly related to lower levels of externalizing problems and internalizing problems 1 year later, controlling for previous levels of those problems. Subgroup …

Externalizing and internalizing behavior problems are known to often co-occur, but mechanisms underlying this co-occurrence remain unclear: whether the associations are due to causal influences of one domain on the other or due to common risk processes influencing both domains. This study aimed to better understand the sources of co-occurring behavior problems by disentangling within- and between-child levels of associations between the two across the five years of childhood, from pre-kindergarten to Grade 3. We analyzed a longitudinal sample of 1060 children from non-urban settings in the U.S. using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) as an alternative to the commonly-used standard CLPMs. Results indicate that co-occurring externalizing and internalizing problems can be explained partly by a unidirectional influence from externalizing to internalizing problems operating …

Social emotional learning (SEL) programs are increasingly being implemented in elementary schools to facilitate development of social competencies, decision-making skills, empathy, and emotion regulation and, in effect, prevent poor outcomes such as school failure, conduct problems, and eventual substance abuse. SEL programs are designed to foster these abilities in children with a wide range of behavioral, social, and learning needs in the classroom, including children who are economically disadvantaged. In a previous study of kindergartners residing in a high-poverty community (N = 327 at baseline), we observed significant behavioral improvements in children receiving an SEL program—The PATHS® curriculum (PATHS)—relative to an active control condition within one school year. The present investigation sought to determine whether these improvements were sustained over the course of two school years with intervention and an additional year when intervention was no longer provided. Further, using multilevel models, we examined whether baseline measures of neurocognition and stress physiology—known to be adversely impacted by poverty—moderated heterogeneous outcomes. Finally, a preliminary linear regression analysis explored whether neurocognition and physiological stress reactivity (heart rate variability, HRV) predict change in outcomes postintervention. Results confirmed that students who received PATHS sustained significant behavioral improvements over time. These effects occurred for the full sample, irrespective of putative baseline moderators, suggesting that children in high-risk environments may …