The journal of alternative and complementary medicine : research on paradigm, practice, and policy
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J Altern Complement Med · Aug 2017
ReviewMindfulness-Based Interventions in Clinical Samples of Adolescents with Chronic Illness: A Systematic Review.
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have emerged as a promising strategy for individuals with a chronic illness, given their versatility in targeting both physical and mental health outcomes. However, research to date has focused on adult or community-based populations. ⋯ Of a total 4710 articles, 8 articles met inclusion criteria. All studies were small (n < 20, except 1 study of n = 59), included only outpatient adolescent samples, and focused on feasibility and acceptability of MBI; only 1 study included a comparison group (n = 1). No studies included online components or remote attendance. All studies found that MBI was acceptable to adolescents, whereas feasibility and implementation outcomes were mixed. Many studies were underpowered to detect significant differences post-MBI, but MBI did demonstrate improvements in emotional distress in several studies. Conclusions and Implications of Key Findings: The literature on MBIs is preliminary in nature, focusing on adapting and developing MBI for adolescents. Although MBIs appear to be a promising approach to coping with symptoms related to chronic illness in adolescents, future research with adequate sample sizes and rigorous research designs is warranted.