MINDFULNESS - BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR MANAGING ANXIETY IN EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS
MINDFULNESS - BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR MANAGING ANXIETY IN EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS

Summary/Abstract: In the context of increasing concern for adolescents’ mental health, this study examines the effectiveness of an integrated mindfulness and psychoeducation program in reducing anxiety and perceived stress among 8th-grade students from an underprivileged rural school (N = 30). The study employs a pre-post intervention design, with evaluations conducted before and after the program implementation using the SCARED scale for anxiety and the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (Levenstein et al., 1993) for stress. T-test results indicate a significant reduction in most of the evaluated subscales, as well as a significant decrease in perceived stress, supported by lower post-intervention median values. The program included mindfulness sessions focused on conscious breathing and body scan techniques, as well as cognitive-behavioral psychoeducation targeting emotional awareness and the restructuring of dysfunctional automatic thoughts. The program's effectiveness and the positive response from students in a vulnerable educational setting support the need to integrate coping strategies and emotional education within schools. The contribution of this research lies in the empirical validation of an intervention in an underprivileged rural school, and in the recommendation for its large-scale implementation to prevent emotional disorders in adolescents.

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