School-Based SEL/Mindfulness Program for Ugandan Youth

• In Event: 3-121 - Positive Youth Development (PYD) in Low Income Countries

Integrative Statement

For the past 11 years, the people in northern Uganda have been living through the aftermath of war. Research has shown that many northern Ugandan children and adolescents continue to experience high rates of depression, anxiety and behavioral problems (Betancourt et al., 2009). In an effort to facilitate better coping and reduce negative psychological outcomes, we have culturally adapted and implemented a socio-emotional, mindfulness program called MindUP (Scholastic, 2011). Research has shown that mindfulness practices and social-emotional skills training can reduce behavioral problems, stress, anxiety and negative affect, and increase self-esteem, positive affect, and executive functioning (e.g., Schonert-Reichl et al., 2015). In a series of studies, we evaluate the effectiveness of the MindUP program implemented in northern Ugandan schools.
Study 1. Eighty-five children were followed over a one-year period (Mean age = 12.5 years, SD = 1.6 years, 53 % males). Children were given questionnaires that assessed their empathy (Litvack et al., 1997), prosocial behavior and depressive symptoms (Betancourt et al., 2009) at 3 time points, 6 months apart. During the first 6 months, children participated in the MindUP program. To test for change over time, we conducted latent growth curve modeling using AMOS with each wave of our data being our observed variables predicting their respective unobserved latent slope and intercept factors (Byrne, 2010). The unobserved latent growth parameters were allowed to covary (Willet & Sayer, 1996). The final modified model produced a good fit to the data (χ2 (16) = 22.0; CFI = .95; RMSEA = .067). The mean estimates for the Slopes showed that while prosocial behavior (b = 0.188, p<.001) and empathy (estimate = 0.283, p<.001) increased over the year, depression (b = -0.3352; p<.001) decreased after the implementation of the program. Since we cannot rule out that these results could be due to maturational factors, a second study was conducted.
Study 2. Forty-four children were followed over an 8-month period (Mean age = 13.1 years, SD = 1.3 years, 65% female) at a different school. Children participated in the MindUP and were given pre- and post-test NIH toolbox questionnaires that assessed their negative emotions (e.g., anger, sadness), support (i.e., emotional support, friendship), and perception of environment (i.e.., hostile, rejecting). Children then participated in MindUP. In addition, 35 children (Mean age = 12.4 years, SD = 1.5 years, 55% female) from a comparison school completed the same questionnaires. We compared difference scores between students from the two schools controlling for gender and age. We found that there was less of an increase in anger among students in MindUP compared to the other students. In addition, students in MindUP perceived less hostility and rejection relative to the students in the comparison school. These results are discussed in terms of the benefits and limitations of MindUP in improving students’ socio-emotional well-being in northern Uganda.

Authors

• Kyle Matsuba, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
  Presenting Author

• Andrea Yet Jang Mah, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Connor Mitchell, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
  Non-Presenting Author