The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Techniques for Decreasing Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescents

Abstract

Nearly 32% of adolescents demonstrate a lifetime prevalence of an anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental disorder among adolescents (Merikangas et al., 2010). Mindfulness-based interventions have shown success in reducing anxiety symptoms in adults. This study focused on the effects of an 8-session mindfulness group on the moderate to severe anxiety levels of middle and high school students. The objectives of the small-group intervention were to educate adolescents about mindfulness techniques and to practice ways in which they could make mindfulness part of their daily lives. The aim of this study was to highlight the impact of a small-group mindfulness intervention on experienced anxiety of middle school and high school students.