The use of mindfulness-based interventions with children

Abstract

In the last 10 years, mindfulness has become a popular approach for managing strong or distressing feelings for adults and children. Particularly for children, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been touted as a modality for the treatment of conditions ranging from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, depression, and stress. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the widely recognized originator of medically based mindfulness, defines the concept as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1982). Practices such as yoga, breathwork, or meditation all incorporate mindfulness to act or react with awareness and with a lack of judgment regarding those thoughts and feelings that arise.