The use of mindfulness as a tool to improve mental health has received increased attention. Schools provide ideal environments for short-term prevention and skill development for mental health. Further, teachers can promote and reinforce students’ daily use of mindfulness. This study explored the effects of a short-term group mindfulness-based intervention on the mental health of adolescents who have experienced trauma. A total of 49 high school students received a mindfulness-based intervention session followed by homework and teacher reinforcement. The results suggest that a short-term group intervention for mindfulness can potentially improve mindfulness attention awareness and reduce depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. As there was no control group, additional research examining the effectiveness of the intervention is essential.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. ASD tendencies (AQ-J-21), PTSD symptoms (IES-R), and depression (CES-D) were administered to 217 high school students who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake. Responses were obtained from 206 people (45 men, 161 women, with mean age ± SD of 17.3 ± 0.48 years). The result of the single correlation analysis showed a weak positive correlation between the AQ-J-21 and the IES-R and a moderate positive correlation between the AQ-J-21 and the CES-D. This suggested that ASD tendency may be a risk factor for PTSD symptoms and depression. Furthermore, as a result of a multiple regression analysis, "Communication" had a positive effect on the IES-R and CES-D, while "Attention Switching" had a positive effect on the CES-D. This suggested that failure of communication in people with ASD tendencies exacerbates PTSD symptoms and depression, and difficulty in switching attention may exacerbate depression. This study seems to be able to provide basic data on the relationship between ASD features, PTSD symptoms, and depression. In the future, it is necessary to carry out longitudinal surveys and investigate the causality of each factor in detail.

No abstract

No abstract