Rural sixth-grade teachers' and students' perceptions of a mindfulness-based mental health curriculum

Introduction: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have the potential to improve students' mood, behavior and cognitive functioning; yet, little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of adapting such programs for rural middle schools.

Methods: An exploratory qualitative evaluation was conducted to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an initial trial delivery of AttuneEd^®, a trauma-informed, mindfulness-based mental health curriculum. In this single-group design study, 10 weekly lessons were taught in a middle school located in a rural town in the pacific northwest during 6th grade students' P.E. classes. Three P.E. teachers, 26 6th grade teachers, and one school counselor attended trainings before and mid-curriculum implementation, where they provided qualitative feedback. A total of 160 students completed acceptability surveys before and after curriculum delivery.

Results: Three themes were identified from qualitative data: cultural considerations, teacher self-efficacy, and barriers and facilitators to student acceptability. Student acceptability ratings were high. Students reported, on average, that the classes helped them better understand themselves and others.

Conclusion: Some identified needs for future MBIs include (1) the need for culturally sensitive, trauma-informed delivery strategies; (2) teachers' desire for more support in content delivery; and (3) students' desire to have their own teachers deliver the curriculum. Findings elucidate the nuances associated with implementing an MBI in a rural middle school and have notable implications for development, scalability, and sustainability.