Geneviève Taylor

Specific Vulnerability to Depressive Mood Reactions in Schoolchildren: The Moderating Role of Self-Esteem

Tested the specific vulnerability hypothesis of Blatt and Zuroffs (1992) theory of personality predispositions to depression in a sample of 119 3rd-grade children (58 girls and 61 boys; mean age = 8.8 years) and 184 7th-grade children (78 girls and 106 boys; mean age = 12.8 years). In addition, we examined whether high self-esteem buffers against depressive reactions following negative events in children possessing high levels of self-criticism or dependency. Last, we examined whether these relations vary as a function of grade or sex. At baseline, participants completed questionnaires assessing depressed mood, self-criticism, dependency, and self-esteem. Six weeks later, participants completed questionnaires assessing depressed mood and negative events. Results provided limited support for the specific vulnerability hypothesis.

A Mindfulness-Based Intervention Pilot Feasibility Study for Elementary School Students With Severe Learning Difficulties: Effects on Internalized and Externalized Symptoms From an Emotional Regulation Perspective

Objective. Students with severe learning disabilities often show signs of anxiety, depression, and problem behaviors such as inattention and conduct problems. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in school settings constitute a promising option to alleviate these co-occurring symptoms. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of an MBI on symptoms and behaviors of elementary school students with severe learning disabilities. Method. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The sample comprised 14 students aged 9 to 12 years with special education needs. Both student-report and teacher-report of the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition were used. Results. Repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed a significant impact of the MBI on symptoms and behaviors such as anxiety, depression, inattention, aggression, and conduct problems. Effect sizes for all variables were considered large (partial η2 = .31-.61). Conclusion. These preliminary results indicate that MBIs can reduce the frequency of symptoms and problem behaviors often found in children with learning disabilities in elementary schools. Further multiple baseline experimental trials with a long-term follow-up are warranted to establish more robustly the effect of MBIs for children with learning disabilities.

Mindfulness-based Intervention in Elementary School Students With Anxiety and Depression: A Series of n-of-1 Trials on Effects and Feasibility:

Mindfulness-based interventions constitute a promising option to address anxiety and depression in elementary school students. This study evaluated the effect of a mindfulness-based intervention on anxiety and depression in elementary school students with a diagnosis of anxiety or depression disorder. A single-subject experimental A-B-A design was used. Participants were three elementary school students from grades three and four, along with their teacher. Anxiety and depression were measured on 10 occasions at baseline, during the intervention, and at follow-up. Primary hypotheses were tested using a univariate single case multilevel modeling strategy and visual analysis. Following intervention, 2 participants reported improvements on anxiety and depression, while their teachers reported deteriorating scores on these variables. Results from this n-of-1 trial design is consistent with other work suggesting caution with regard to the overall impact and efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions as a universal treatment option for youth. Future research is warranted.

Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on the Perception of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction among Special Education Students.

Abstract Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have been increasingly implemented in schools to foster better emotional regulation skills for students with special education needs such as learning disabilities (LDs). This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of a MBI on the need satisfaction of elementary students with severe LDs. A prospective quasi-experimental design involving one group and two time points was employed. A sample of 14 elementary school students from a severe LDs special education class participated in this project. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted and revealed a significant reduction in need satisfaction, with a large effect size (η2 = .35). Contrary to our hypothesis, the MBI appeared to be negatively related to need satisfaction among participants. These results indicate that MBIs could be linked with better self-evaluation skills in students with severe LDs, which, in turn, may change (or increase the accuracy of) the perception that children have of their own need satisfaction.

A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Students With Psychiatric Disorders in a Special Education Curriculum: A Series of n-of-1 Trials on Internalized and Externalized Symptoms

Citation: Malboeuf-Hurtubise C, Taylor G, Paquette L and Lacourse E (2018) A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Students With Psychiatric Disorders in a Special Education Curriculum: A Series of n-of-1 Trials on Internalized and Externalized Symptoms. Front. Educ. 3:66. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2018.00066 A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Students With Psychiatric Disorders in a Special Education Curriculum: A Series of n-of-1 Trials on Internalized and Externalized Symptoms