Development of a school-based mindful yoga and meditation intervention module for enhancing adolescents' emotion regulation and well-being.

A tailored Mindful Yoga and Meditation (MYM) module for adolescents was developed and tested. In Phase I, interviews and focus groups with 21 stakeholders and 8 group discussions identified needs and barriers; content validity was confirmed by 9 experts. Phase II piloted the module with 18 high school students in Karnataka, India. After the intervention, participants showed significant reductions in psychological distress and emotional suppression, alongside improvements in mindfulness, emotion regulation, and well-being. The module appears feasible as a school-based intervention to support adolescent emotional regulation and well-being through activity-based mindfulness and yoga.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mindfulness and Yoga practices are well-established interventions for enhancing adolescent well-being. This study aimed to design, validate, and evaluate a Mindful Yoga and Meditation (MYM) intervention module tailored for adolescents. The study was conducted in two phases. In Phase I, formative research using a qualitative approach was conducted to explore the needs, barriers, and facilitators for integrating mindfulness practices. Data were collected through in-depth interviews (n = 21) and focus group discussions (n = 8) with key stakeholders. Insights from the data, expert feedback, and literature review informed the development of the module, with content validity established using Lawshe's content validity ratio (n = 9 experts). Phase II involved a pilot study among high school students (n = 18) in a government school in Udupi district, Karnataka, India, in July 2024. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Standardized tools were used to measure the psychological distress (K10), emotion regulation (ERQ-CA), mindfulness (CAMM), and well-being (WHO-5). Thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data, while paired t-tests/Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for quantitative analysis. The results revealed significant reductions in psychological distress and emotional suppression and improvements in mindfulness, emotion regulation, and well-being. The validated MYM module is a feasible school-based intervention for fostering adolescent well-being and emotional regulation by addressing their developmental needs through activity-based mindfulness and yoga practices.