D-Stress Baltimore: School-based Mindfulness Instruction

D-Stress Baltimore: School-based Mindfulness Instruction for Primary Prevention of Mental Health and Behavioral Problems in Middle School

Effective strategies to ameliorate the negative effects of stressful urban living are greatly needed. D-Stress Baltimore (DSB) is an evidence-based mindfulness-based instructional program of stress-reduction techniques, found to reduce mental health problems across many adult populations. The investigators propose to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the 12-week school-based DSB program compared with a 12-week school-based health education control program at Elev8 schools among 5th-8th graders to assess if DSB program is beneficial for mental health and behavioral problems among public middle-school students.

Urban youth in Baltimore City are under significant and inevitable stresses, including violent neighborhoods, failing schools, and interpersonal conflict. Effective strategies to ameliorate the negative effects of stressful urban living are greatly needed. D-Stress Baltimore (DSB) is an evidence-based mindfulness-based instructional program of stress-reduction techniques which has been found to be beneficial for adults in decreasing anxiety and depression, improving positive emotions, and reducing anger. The investigators propose to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the 12-week school-based DSB program compared with a 12-week school-based health education control program at Elev8 schools among 5th-8th graders. The investigators hypothesize that the D-Stress Baltimore Program will reduce negative emotions, including hostility, and improve coping.

Instruction on mindfulness concepts and practices. Classes are 45-90 minutes each and held weekly for 12 weeks.

Instruction on general health and wellness. Classes are 45-90 minutes each and held weekly for 12 weeks.

Age-appropriate instruction on mindfulness concepts and practices, adapted from the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program. Classes are 45-90 minutes each and held weekly for 12 weeks.

Age-appropriate health education concepts and topics. Classes are 45-90 minutes each and held weekly for 12 weeks.

Assessment of impact of Mindfulness instruction versus Health Education instruction as measured by scores on mental health questionnaire administered at baseline, and then 3 and 9 months later. Children's Depression Inventory - Short Form (CDI-S)

Affect Measures: Positive and Negative Affect Scale; State Trait Anger Expressivity Index; Differential Emotions Scale

Assessment of impact of Mindfulness instruction versus Health Education instruction as measured by scores on mental health questionnaire administered at baseline, and then 3 and 9 months later.

Assessment of impact of Mindfulness instruction versus Health Education instruction as measured by scores on mental health questionnaire administered at baseline, and then 3 and 9 months later.

Assessment of impact of Mindfulness instruction versus Health Education instruction on coping as measured by scores on questionnaire administered at baseline, and then 3 and 9 months later. Specific coping measures used are: Brief COPE Inventory; the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE); and Children's Response Style Questionnaire (CRSQ).

Assessment of impact of Mindfulness instruction versus Health Education instruction as measured by scores on questionnaire administered at baseline, and then 3 and 9 months later. Children's Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms

Sibinga EM, Webb L, Ghazarian SR, Ellen JM. School-Based Mindfulness Instruction: An RCT. Pediatrics. 2016 Jan;137(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-2532. Epub 2015 Dec 18.