CHAPTER 8: SCHOOl-BASEd MindFulnESS PROTOCOlS • 173mindfulness practice scripts, suggested home practices, links to state and national
assessment standards, sample outcome assessments, program process evaluation, teacher
resources about mindfulness, background information on stress processes and adolescent
development, a message to mindfulness teachers, four practice audio files, posters, wallet
cards, and workbook pages (can be downloaded and personalized). There are three train-
ing opportunities offered including an introduction workshop, a 2-day workshop, and a
3-day intensive.
There have been several studies conducted on the curriculum. The latest published
study was conducted by Bluth et al. (2016). Bluth et al. (2016) conducted a randomized,
school-based pilot study of L2B, with ethnically diverse at-risk adolescents. Twenty-seven
students were randomly assigned to a mindfulness or substance abuse control class that
met for 50 minutes, once a week, over one school semester (Bluth et al., 2016). The authors
reported that adjustments were made to increase acceptability of the mindfulness class,
including enhanced instructor engagement in school activities (Bluth et al., 2016). At post-
test, reductions in depression were seen for students in the mindfulness class compared to
controls. Interestingly, the authors reported that, initially, the students’ perceived credibil-
ity of the mindfulness class was lower than that of the substance abuse class (Bluth et al.,
2016). Remarkably, over the course of the semester, perceived credibility of the mindful-
ness class increased while that of the substance abuse class decreased (Bluth et al., 2016).
Acceptability was measured qualitatively. This assessment revealed that the mindfulness
class reportedly helped students relieve stress and that students favored continuing the
class (Bluth et al., 2016).
In 2013, Metz et al. published quasi-experimental pretest/posttest comparison group
design to study L2B. Researchers utilized a convenience sample of students attending two
public high schools matched on school-level demographics in the same Eastern suburban
school district (Metz et al., 2013). The study included 216 regular education public high
school students participating in the program or instruction-as-usual comparison condition
students (Metz et al., 2013). According to the authors, program participants reported statis-
tically lower levels of perceived stress and psychosomatic complaints and higher levels of
efficacy in affective regulation (Metz et al., 2013). Program participants also demonstrated
statistically larger gains in emotion regulation skills (e.g., emotional awareness, access to
regulation strategies, and emotional clarity; Metz et al., 2013). More research on L2B can be
found at learning2breathe.org/curriculum/research.
Mindfulness in Schools Program
The Mindfulness in Schools Program (MiSP) curriculum is a set of nine scripted lessons
tailored to secondary schools, supported by tailored teacher training (Kuyken et al., 2013;
Lawlor, 2014; Weare, 2013). The lessons are designed to teach mindfulness or “learning to
direct attention to immediate experience, moment by moment, with open-minded curiosity
and acceptance” (Kuyken et al., 2013, p. 2). The program teaches new skills in a practical
way through the practice of mindfulness and applications in everyday life (Kuyken et al.,
2013). The MiSP program purports to be drawn from MBSR and MBCT. The main teaching
principles include explicit teaching of skills and attitudes; shortening and adapting mind-
fulness lessons for students; using age-appropriate, interactive, and experienced teaching
methods; providing age-appropriate resources that bring mindfulness to life (such as a book,