The Benefits of Mindfulness Training for Momentary Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: A Randomized Controlled Trial for Adolescents Exposed to Chronic Stressors

Objective: The goal of this study was to test if a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) compared to an active control ameliorates the impacts of life stressors on momentary mindfulness and emotion regulation difficulties among adolescents exposed to chronic stressors. Method: Adolescents exposed to chronic stressors (N = 81, M_age = 13.75 years; 56% boys; 24% Hispanic/Latino, 57% White) were randomized to receive MBI within the context of a community-based mentoring program (MBI + mentoring) or mentoring-alone. Participants completed ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) three times each day for 7 days at three intervals/bursts (preintervention, midintervention, and postintervention), contributing to a total of 3,178 EMA reports. EMA assessed momentary exposure to life stressors, mindfulness (vs. mindlessness), and emotion regulation difficulties. Results: Linear mixed-effects models revealed that the interaction between intervention arm (MBI + mentoring vs. mentoring-alone) and burst was significantly associated with the random slopes of life stressor exposure predicting mindful attention (b = −.05, SE =.01, p <.001), mindful nonjudgment (b = −.03, SE =.01, p <.001), and emotion regulation difficulties (b = −.04, SE =.01, p <.001). Estimated marginal means revealed that MBI + mentoring, compared to mentoring-alone, produced small but significant attenuation in the association of life stressors with mindful attention, mindful nonjudgment, and emotion regulation difficulties at postintervention. Conclusion: Mindfulness training may buffer adolescents exposed to chronic stressors against the negative impacts of life stressors on mindfulness and emotion regulation in daily life. Going forward, it will be important to investigate these relationships in the context of mental/physical health outcomes and to include longer periods of follow-up to determine the sustainable benefits of MBI for adolescent health.