"It's a Really Big Privilege to be Able to Take Care of Ourselves": A Mixed Methods Study of Integrating Mindfulness for Mental Health into a Job Training Program for Low-Income Emerging Adults.
Global advances in integrative medicine and health January 1, 2025 Dorothy T Chiu, Forest Fein, Ariana Thompson-Lastad et al. 2 citations
Integrating a mindfulness elective into a year-long job training program for diverse, low-income emerging adults improved mindfulness, life satisfaction, and self-compassion while reducing stress. Over two years, 195 participants (mean age 22.3, 94.4% from racially and ethnically minoritized groups) took the elective. In Year 1, mindfulness participants showed greater mindfulness (+8.4) and life satisfaction (+10.3) and lower stress (-8.2); controls showed no changes. In Year 2, both 12-week and 6-week groups improved in mindfulness, life satisfaction, self-compassion, connectedness, and mind-body connection, with larger gains in the longer course. Focus groups confirmed that the elective supported self-care, health, and professional development, suggesting such integration can promote mental health equity.