Exploring an intensive meditation intervention for incarcerated youth
Elizabeth S. Barnert, Samuel Himelstein, Sarah Herbert, Albert Garcia‐romeu, Lisa Chamberlain
Child and Adolescent Mental Health February 11, 2013 DOI: 10.1111/camh.12019 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIncarcerated adolescent males who took part in a one-day meditation retreat and a 10-week meditation programme reported higher scores in self-regulation, along with psychological enhancement. No behavioral change was observed. Six themes emerged from the data: enhanced well-being, increased self-discipline, increased social cohesiveness, expanded self-awareness, resistance to meditation, and future meditation practice. The findings suggest that meditation training for incarcerated youth is a feasible and promising intervention.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention with mixed methods Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | Incarcerated adolescent males |
| Interventions | meditation retreat 10-week meditation programme |
| Duration | One-day meditation retreat and 10-week meditation programme |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Intervention counseling Clinical psychology Impulsivity Group cohesiveness Mindfulness meditation |
| Citations | 50 |
| Key finding | Meditation training for incarcerated adolescent males was associated with improved self-regulation and psychological enhancement, but no behavioral change was observed. |
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We examined the experiences of incarcerated adolescent males (N = 29) who participated in a one-day meditation retreat and 10-week meditation programme. METHOD: Self-report surveys assessing mindfulness, self-regulation, impulsivity and stress; behavioural assessments; and focus group data were examined. RESULTS: We observed significantly higher scores in self-regulation (p = .012) and psychometric markers demonstrated psychological enhancement. No behavioural change was observed. Six themes emerged: enhanced well-being, increased self-discipline, increased social cohesiveness, expanded self-awareness, resistance to meditation and future meditation practice. CONCLUSIONS: Early evidence suggests that meditation training for incarcerated youth is a feasible and promising intervention.