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The prosecution of Max Merten (1911–1971), the only Nazi war criminal accused of Holocaust involvement in Greece, coincided not only with the start of the Greek-German negotiations on victim compensation but also with the Eichmann trial. In 1959, the Merten Case provoked a massive public backlash, both because of the gravity of his crimes and because of his impending extradition to West Germany. We argue that in the Cold War atmosphere, when the Merten Case attracted international attention, the actions of internal and external power elites in the West deliberately departed from the concept of transitional justice to use this murky affair to their political advantage. Rather than a fair trial, the aim was to obstruct it in the interests of good relations, political self-preservation, and gradual social amnesia about Greek complicity during the German occupation. In contrast, the Eastern Bloc fed the opposite narrative of rotten capitalism by building on its proclaimed struggle against fascism. By combining archival sources and newspaper coverage of the Merten Case on both sides of the East-West conflict, our article explores which mechanisms were mobilised in public and which incentives were carried out behind the scenes. This allows us to examine multidirectional attitudes in a geopolitical sense, with the main aim of showing the discursive imposition of disinformation operating (in)formally through the channels of political institutions during the Cold War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the hypothesis that implementing a mindfulness intervention could significantly alleviate anxiety caused by a deficit in reading comprehension, as well as improve trait mindfulness and efficacy. Students with reading difficulties enrolled in a corrective reading intervention program served as participants. All participants took preassessments to measure level of reading anxiety, efficacy, trait mindfulness, and reading comprehension. They were then randomly divided into two groups--experimental and control. The experimental group practiced a mindfulness meditation intervention adapted from Eline Snel's (2013) Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents). The control group participated in a control task, Reading the Room. Following treatment, pre- and posttreatment assessments were taken to measure any changes in level of reading anxiety, efficacy, and trait mindfulness. Results suggest that mindfulness meditation may have led to a decrease in reading anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beetle fauna of the California Channel Islands is here enumerated for the first time in over 120 years. We provide an annotated checklist documenting species-byisland diversity from an exhaustive literature review and analysis of a compiled dataset of 26,609 digitized specimen records to which were added over 3,000 individual specimen determinations. We report 825 unique species from 514 genera and 71 families (including 17 new family records) comprising 1,829 species-by-island records. Species totals for each island are as follows: Anacapa (74); San Clemente (197); San Miguel (138); San Nicolas (146); Santa Barbara (64); Santa Catalina (370); Santa Cruz (503); and Santa Rosa (337). This represents the largest list of species published to date for any taxonomic group of animals on the Channel Islands; despite this, we consider the checklist to be preliminary. We present evidence that both inventory and taxonomic efforts on Channel Islands beetles are far from complete. Rarefaction estimates indicate there are at least several hundred more species of beetles yet to be recorded from the islands. Despite the incomplete nature of existing records, we found that species diversity is highly correlated with island area. We report 56 species which are putatively geographically restricted (endemic) to the Channel Islands, with two additional species of questionable endemic status. We also report 52 species from the islands which do not natively occur in the southern California region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Mindfulness in parents is associated with a number of positive family characteristics, including positive parenting behaviors, fewer externalizing or internalizing difficulties in children, and positive parent-child relationships. However, little is known about whether parents' and children's mindfulness may be linked, or whether mindful parenting may indirectly support this link. The present cross-sectional study sought to explore these associations in mothers and fathers and their preadolescent children. Design. One hundred and twelve triads consisting of mothers, fathers, and their 9- to 12-year-old children participated. Mothers and fathers rated their mindfulness and mindful parenting, and children rated their mindfulness. Results. Mothers' mindfulness was indirectly associated with children's mindfulness through mothers' mindful parenting. This indirect effect was not significant for fathers, although one facet of mindfulness – nonreactivity to thoughts and feelings – led to a significant indirect association. Conclusions. Mindful parents report more mindful parenting behaviors, which in turn may relate to higher child mindfulness. Implications for the socialization of mindfulness in the family are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Estudos de Segurança Pública is the property of Academia de Policia Militar de Goias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: To assess whether early visual acuity letter score change from baseline (ΔVALS) and early spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) measures of center point thickness (CPT) are associated with later ΔVALS in eyes with macular edema due to central or hemiretinal vein occlusion treated with intravitreal aflibercept or bevacizumab. Methods: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial of 362 participants. Results: Considered separately at month 3, CPT (categorized as ≤ 300 μm, > 300 μm) and ΔVALS (categorized as < 5, 5–9, ≥ 10) are predictive of ΔVALS at month 6 (aflibercept: P = 0.02 for CPT and P < 0.0001 for ΔVALS; bevacizumab: P = 0.007 for CPT and P < 0.0001 for ΔVALS) and, except for CPT in the bevacizumab arm, also predictive of ΔVALS at month 12 (aflibercept: P = 0.03 for CPT and P < 0.0001 for ΔVALS; bevacizumab: P = 0.18 for CPT and P < 0.0001 for ΔVALS). Month 3 predictors are also associated with average ΔVALS from months 4 to 12 (CPT P = 0.01 in the aflibercept arm, P = 0.02 in the bevacizumab arm; ΔVALS > 10 versus < 5; P < 0.001 for both aflibercept and bevacizumab). When month 3 measures are considered jointly, ΔVALS effect remains significant for average ΔVALS from months 4 to 12 (aflibercept: P = 0.002; bevacizumab: P < 0.0001) but not CPT (aflibercept: P = 0.18; bevacizumab: P = 0.22). Conclusion: While both month 3 ΔVALS and CPT are predictive of ΔVALS after month 3 through month 12, early ΔVALS has a stronger relationship than CPT with later ΔVALS. SCORE2 registration number is NCT01969708. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We summarize current knowledge about the ecosystem functions of fire‐produced charcoal in boreal forests with a special focus on its effects on soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous dynamics as well as on plant succession. Charcoal is a carbon‐enriched material with a highly aromatic and porous structure. Charcoal is highly resistant to microbial decomposition and thus remains in soil for thousands of years, providing recalcitrant carbon to boreal forest soils. The abundant pores in and on charcoal surfaces have powerful adsorption abilities that can influence biogeochemical cycles and plant succession after fire. Our review details the influence of charcoal on plant and soil systems and explains the complex direct and indirect pathways of these influences that occur during succession after fires in boreal ecosystems. Among these pathways, the most important pathway through which charcoal influences plant and soil systems relates to the element composition and nutrient availability in soils and to the abundance of phenolics released from Ericaceae plants in the understory of boreal forests. We found a strong bias in the studied processes towards nutrient mineralization rather than immobilization, which suggests that it is risky to draw general conclusions about the influence of charcoal on soil nutrient dynamics. Last, the latest studies shed light on the enhancement of litter and humus decomposition by charcoal, given the possibility that charcoal accelerates CO2 release in a postfire forest. This review suggests comparative studies that are necessary to test the context‐dependency of charcoal functions across a variety of boreal forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mindfulness training can enhance cognitive control, but the neural mechanisms underlying such enhancement in children are unknown. Here, we conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with sixth graders (mean age 11.76 years) to examine the impact of 8 weeks of school‐based mindfulness training, relative to coding training as an active control, on sustained attention and associated resting‐state functional brain connectivity. At baseline, better performance on a sustained‐attention task correlated with greater anticorrelation between the default mode network (DMN) and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key node of the central executive network. Following the interventions, children in the mindfulness group preserved their sustained‐attention performance (i.e., fewer lapses of attention) and preserved DMN–DLPFC anticorrelation compared to children in the active control group, who exhibited declines in both sustained attention and DMN–DLPFC anticorrelation. Further, change in sustained‐attention performance correlated with change in DMN–DLPFC anticorrelation only within the mindfulness group. These findings provide the first causal link between mindfulness training and both sustained attention and associated neural plasticity. Administered as a part of sixth graders' school schedule, this RCT supports the beneficial effects of school‐based mindfulness training on cognitive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Previous studies suggest that Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT‐C) is feasible and may improve anxiety and emotion regulation in youth with anxiety disorders at‐risk for bipolar disorder. However, controlled studies are warranted to replicate and extend these findings. Methods: In the current study, 24 youth with anxiety disorders who have at least one parent with bipolar disorder participated in a MBCT‐C treatment period (n = 24; Mage = 13.6, 75% girls, 79% White) with a subset also participating in a prior psychoeducation waitlist control period (n = 19 Mage = 13.8, 68% girls, 84% White). Participants in both the waitlist and MBCT‐C periods completed independently‐rated symptom scales at each time point. Participants in the waitlist period received educational materials 12 weeks prior to the beginning of MBCT‐C. Results: There were significantly greater improvements in overall clinical severity in the MBCT‐C period compared to the waitlist period, but not in clinician‐ and child‐rated anxiety, emotion regulation or mindfulness. However, increases in mindfulness were associated with improvements in anxiety and emotion regulation in the MBCT‐C period, but not the waitlist period. Conclusions: Findings suggest that MBCT‐C may be effective for improving overall clinical severity in youth with anxiety disorders who are at‐risk for bipolar disorder. However, waitlist controlled designs may inflate effect sizes so interpret with caution. Larger studies utilizing prospective randomized controlled designs are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: It is unclear how adult mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) should be modified for youth, and at what ages programmes should be implemented for optimal impact. Recent non‐replication with a 9‐week programme in early adolescence suggested abbreviated programme content might be insufficient and/or that this age group are less receptive. Method: This controlled quasi‐experimental design tested a more intensive 8‐week MBI (longer meditation and session duration, plus inquiry) in Year 8 (Mage = 13.47; SD = 0.35) and Year 10 (Mage = 15.47; SD = 0.40) secondary students for feasibility and acceptability (N = 143, 45.9% female). Results: Within this format students rated the content as agreeable, and school staff deemed content developmentally appropriate, across both age bands. Efficacy was tested in a small subsample (N = 90) to provide an estimate of effect size. Linear mixed modelling demonstrated significant between‐group differences in depression (Cohen's d = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.19 to 1.03) and anxiety (d = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.10 to 0.94) at 4‐month follow‐up, but not immediately post‐intervention. Conclusion: An MBI more closely modelled on adult curricula was acceptable to students, although session duration was harder to timetable by schools. Promising effect sizes support further investigation in a larger sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost all mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are delivered in group format. Given the benefits of group work for children/youth, the authors wondered how researchers studying MBIs discussed and analyzed the group-work component of the MBI. The authors conducted a scoping study with the aims of analyzing relevant research regardless of design to explore the range of research activity, to summarize findings, and to identify gaps in knowledge. Our research questions asked, (1) How is group work described and discussed in the research literature that explores MBIs with children and youth? (2) When group work is discussed, what factors are the focus of discussion? and (3) Is group work considered an important aspect in the delivery of MBIs? Ultimately, the authors identified 94 articles that met their inclusion criteria. The researchers that discussed group work identified rationales for the group delivery, benefits of group work, the need for a cohesive and safe environment for learning, the relevant role of the group facilitator, cultural implications, and challenges associated with group delivery. Engagement of youth in an MBI and the importance of the group process were identified as main issues. The authors concluded that all of the factors contributing to change as a result of having participated in an MBI need to be better understood, and that group work should be given more attention in the delivery and study of MBIs. Thus, the facilitation of an MBI can be better understood as can the mechanisms of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth substance use remains a significant public health issue. Although there are numerous evidence-based substance use preventive interventions, room for program improvement remains. Mindfulness practice, due to its feasibility of implementation, capacity to promote neuro-networks associated with delayed substance use initiation and progression to substance use disorders, and efficacy in promoting protective and reducing risk factors associated with substance use, may constitute one strategy for increasing the effectiveness of substance use preventive interventions. However, mindfulness-based approaches to substance use prevention have yet to be systematically tested with youth. In this conceptual paper, we first define mindfulness and its potential, through practice, to strengthen neuro-circuitry associated with substance use disorders. We then review evidence supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness-based preventive interventions to promote protective factors and reduce risk factors known to predict youth substance use. Thus, a case is made for neuro-developmentally timed, mindfulness-based substance use preventive interventions, with the ultimate goal of preventing future substance misuse and associated health consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many children adopted internationally show remarkable recovery once placed in families, as a group they continue to exhibit persisting developmental deficits and delays in self-regulation. The current study uses a stratified, randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based and executive function trainings (EFTs) on internationally adopted (IA) children's self-regulation, including effortful/inhibitory control, attention, delay of gratification, and emotion-regulation. IA children ages 6–10 years were randomized into mindfulness training (MT), EFT, or no intervention (NI) groups. The MT and EFT groups attended 12 one-hour group sessions. Ninety-six children (MT, n = 33; EFT, n = 32; NI, n = 31) completed the study and were tested on computerized and non-computerized measures of self-regulation. Compared with the NI group, the MT group improved delay of gratification, and the EFT group improved inhibitory control and selective attention. There was no effect of either intervention on emotion regulation. MTs and EFTs show promise for improving self-regulation in IA children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-based yoga programmes have been implemented in schools across the United States with promising results. However, the majority of research on yoga programmes has occurred within the K-12 setting. Much less is known about the benefits of yoga with young children. The current body of research on yoga and young children has been quantitative and aimed at measurable results. Conversely, the purpose of this study was to investigate young children's experiences with yoga through a qualitative approach. Observations of yoga classes and group interviews with 34 preschool children were conducted. Participants were encouraged to be active agents in the research through language, creative art, and movement. This became data for qualitative analysis to 'visualize children's voice'. The findings indicated that children's perceptions of yoga were overwhelmingly positive and that they would continue yoga if given the opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The population of left‐behind children is growing rapidly in China in recent years. Without parents' company, left‐behind children may develop severe emotional problems, which can trigger extreme behaviours such as self‐harm and suicide. Previous literature suggests that mindfulness‐based intervention could effectively alleviate a variety of sufferings such as anxiety and suicide ideation. The current study sought to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness‐based intervention on suicide ideation among left‐behind children in China. Methods: This study investigated the effects of an 8‐week mindfulness training programme on suicide ideation of left‐behind children in China. Forty‐nine left‐behind children completed a pretest and posttest on mindfulness level, social anxiety, self‐esteem, and suicide ideation, with 21 in the mindfulness training group and 28 in the waitlist control group. Results: Adjusting for pretest differences analyses of covariance found that, compared with waitlist control group, the mindfulness training group showed a significant improvement in mindfulness level and decreases in social anxiety and suicide ideation after the 8‐week mindfulness training. Conclusion: The findings from this study support that the use of mindfulness‐based intervention can effectively reduce the suicide ideation and social anxiety of left‐behind children in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of biomass is considered the most efficient method currently available to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, biomass carbon is easily degraded by microorganisms releasing it in the form of greenhouse gases back to the atmosphere. If biomass is pyrolyzed, the organic carbon is converted into solid (biochar), liquid (bio‐oil), and gaseous (permanent pyrogas) carbonaceous products. During the last decade, biochar has been discussed as a promising option to improve soil fertility and sequester carbon, although the carbon efficiency of the thermal conversion of biomass into biochar is in the range of 30%–50% only. So far, the liquid and gaseous pyrolysis products were mainly considered for combustion, though they can equally be processed into recalcitrant forms suitable for carbon sequestration. In this review, we show that pyrolytic carbon capture and storage (PyCCS) can aspire for carbon sequestration efficiencies of >70%, which is shown to be an important threshold to allow PyCCS to become a relevant negative emission technology. Prolonged residence times of pyrogenic carbon can be generated (a) within the terrestrial biosphere including the agricultural use of biochar; (b) within advanced bio‐based materials as long as they are not oxidized (biochar, bio‐oil); and (c) within suitable geological deposits (bio‐oil and CO2 from permanent pyrogas oxidation). While pathway (c) would need major carbon taxes or similar governmental incentives to become a realistic option, pathways (a) and (b) create added economic value and could at least partly be implemented without other financial incentives. Pyrolysis technology is already well established, biochar sequestration and bio‐oil sequestration in soils, respectively biomaterials, do not present ecological hazards, and global scale‐up appears feasible within a time frame of 10–30 years. Thus, PyCCS could evolve into a decisive tool for global carbon governance, serving climate change mitigation and the sustainable development goals simultaneously. While increasing the terrestrial biomass is the most promising method to withdraw CO2 from the atmosphere, the long‐term storage of biogenic carbon plays a preponderant role for climate change mitigation. Biomass pyrolysis could convert sustainably produced biomass into solid (biochar), liquid (bio‐oil), and gaseous carbonaceous products, which allow long‐term storage in soils, biomaterials, and geological deposits. We review this new concept, now termed pyrolytic carbon capture and storage (PyCCS), which is expected to evolve into a decisive tool for future agriculture (biochar) and bio‐economy (biochar, bio‐oil, biofuels) serving climate change mitigation and the sustainable development goals simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this nonconcurrent, multiple-baseline, single-subject research study, the authors conducted a preliminary exploration of whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) can be expanded to the treatment of math anxiety. Three high school students who were assessed with high levels of math anxiety met individually twice a week for 6 weeks with the school counselor who used a manualized MBCT treatment for anxiety as the intervention. A weekly administration of a math anxiety measurement tool showed a decrease in math anxiety for all three participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operationalization and conceptualization of mindfulness into Westernized societies have shown certain challenges. Additional attention is needed to demonstrate the ways in which mindfulness is measured in youth and adolescents. This article explored the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure as a reliable and valid measure for youth in a convenience sample of fifth graders who are predominantly minority and living in an urban environment (n = 248). Results from an exploratory factor analysis show that construct validity was established with all 10 items loading on two factors. Unlike the original validation and many subsequent studies that were unidimensional, this study revealed two factors present in this sample: avoidance of feelings and present moment non-judgmental awareness. The model explained 50.37% of the total variance in the examination of mindfulness. The two factors also demonstrated acceptable divergent validity with measures of anxiety (factor 1: r = −0.45; factor 2: r = −0.67) and involuntary responses to stress (factor 1: r = −0.55; factor 2: r = −0.71). Discussion as to why two factors were found in our study, unlike many previous studies, is offered with suggestions for future research outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Education Research (1680-6360) is the property of Angle Publishing Co., Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The authors analyzed findings from a counselor‐delivered social and emotional learning and mindfulness‐based intervention with twenty‐three 3‐ and 4‐year‐olds from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Using a multilevel modeling approach to illustrate students' growth across multiple behavioral observations in a randomized controlled design, the authors found that the treatment group exhibited more self‐regulatory‐related behaviors on days when the intervention occurred. Qualitative analyses revealed that the students adopted kindness language consistent with the intervention. Implications for practice are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several factors may impede ethnoracial minority inclusion in Mindfulness- and Meditation-Based Intervention (MMBI) studies, such as healthcare disparities, historical underrepresentation in clinical research, and a conceptual perspective that emphasizes the universality of Buddhist teachings. This systematic review was performed with the aim of describing MMBI studies with a significant diversity focus, defined as involving minority inclusion in sample composition, cultural adaptations of interventions, and/or planned comparisons of outcomes for different ethnoracial groups. Studies were identified through PsycINFO and MEDLINE databases from 1990 to 2016 in the United States. We reviewed 12,265 citations to include 24 MMBI diversity-focused studies. Aside from Native Alaskans, all other major US ethnoracial minority groups were included in at least one study. Most of the studies (75%) were conducted with child and youth samples; the others included only women. Most (58%) included participants selected for a health or mental health condition, but none required specific diagnoses for study inclusion. The most commonly used MMBI was mindfulness-based stress reduction (29%), and only 12.5% of all studies used a culturally adapted intervention. Only one study reported planned ethnoracial comparisons of treatment outcomes. Cohen’s d effect sizes for single-sample studies ranged from 0.10 to 0.62 and for randomized controlled trials ranged from 0.02 to 0.99. Results from this systematic review highlight the dearth of diversity focus in MMBI research. Future work should include indicators of feasibility, acceptability, and safety; address underrepresentation of ethnoracial minorities, men, and participants with clinically or functionally significant symptoms; and investigate cultural adaptations to optimize treatment effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With 80% of Vietnamese people holding key Buddhist beliefs, Buddhism has great impact on the thoughts, emotions, and behavior of Vietnamese people. However, almost no Buddhism‐based psychosocial interventions are offered at formal psychiatric hospitals across Vietnam, nor is there any plan to incorporate these interventions into mental health care. This exploratory study examines the perceptions of mental health clients and staff regarding the effectiveness of Buddhism‐based therapies (BBTs) in mental health treatment in Vietnam, using ethnographic observation and in‐depth interviews with 24 patients and eight professionals at the only psychiatric hospital employing BBT. Participants strongly believed in the positive impact of BBT to help clients manage or improve their symptoms. However, clients and staff advised that BBT should not be used alone; rather it should be used in combination with medication and was best employed for stress‐related disorders. They unanimously supported incorporating BBT into the formal mental health system, especially if the therapies were well developed through collaboration between Buddhist monastics and mental health professionals. Results of the paper suggest that Vietnam should think strategically about developing and incorporating BBT into the formal mental health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Family Process is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

More people, than ever before, are living into advanced old age. As a result, incidences of age-related, non-communicable disease such as dementia will increase. Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of conditions that impact cognitive and physical functioning. It is terminal. Scientific communities continue to search for a cure. Meanwhile, attention is increasingly being refocused, exploring what it means to have a good quality of life and how to live well with dementia, regardless of the stage of the disease. Design has an important role to play in supporting quality of life of people living with dementia. However, designers need to take into account the many varied contexts in which people live, the different manifestations of the disease, and individual wants, needs and preferences. Co-creative approaches can enable people living with dementia and stakeholders in their care, to engage in the design process and impact products and services made for them, provide opportunities for social engagement, interaction and pleasure, and give designers insights into the embodied experience of living with dementia and the social and cultural impact. This paper discusses a participatory design research project with people living with advanced dementia in residential care facilities in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has a growing empirical base in the treatment of anxiety among adults and children with other concerns. This study reports on the main outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of ACT and traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in children with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) anxiety disorder. Participants were 193 children from urban Sydney, Australia, who were block-randomized to a 10-week group-based program of ACT or CBT or a 10-week waitlist control (WLC). Completers included 157 children (ACT = 54, CBT = 57, WLC = 46; M = 11 years, SD = 2.76; 78% Caucasian, 58% female). Pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3 months posttreatment assessments included clinician/self/parent-reported measures of anxiety, quality of life (QOL; anxiety interference, psychosocial and physical health-related QOL), and acceptance/defusion outcomes. Completer and intention-to-treat analyses revealed that ACT and CBT were both superior to WLC across outcomes, reflecting statistically and clinically significant differences, with gains maintained at 3 months posttreatment. Both completer and intention-to-treat analyses found ACT and CBT to produce similar outcomes. There was some support for ACT having greater effect sizes for QOL outcomes but not for avoidance/fusion. Although this study does not suggest that ACT is equivalent to CBT or should be adopted in its place, it does provide evidence that ACT might be another empirically supported treatment option for anxious youth. Further research is needed to replicate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Educational Practice & Research is the property of National Taipei University of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Outdoor adventure-based experiences allow students to engage in physical activities and process learning tasks within a novel, open environment that is unlike any classroom. Past outdoor adventure-based research has indicated two primary participant outcomes: intrapersonal and interpersonal relationship skills or IIRS (Moore & Russell, 2002). The body of literature involving the promising outcomes from outdoor adventure-based experiences designed for college students is growing (Bailey & Kang, 2015; Frauman & Waryold, 2009; Lien & Goldenberg, 2012; Rude, Bobilya, & Bell, 2017; Vlamis, Bell, & Gass, 2011; Wolfe & Kay, 2011). One noticeable gap in the adventure-based literature is research on participants' lived experience through a conceptual lens of social and emotional learning (SEL). The purpose of this study was to explore college students' perceptions of their SEL competencies based on a 3-day adventure-based experience to Sequoia National Park. The participants experienced and expressed in a short time frame in the adventure setting the SEL core competencies of relationship skills and social awareness. The findings are encouraging, suggesting that the adventure-based experience to Sequoia National Park provided the participants an opportunity to develop SEL that involved the themes of friendship and mindfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence points to the success of mindfulness for supporting the well-being of older children in schools; less is known about the effects with younger schoolchildren. This study sought to test the feasibility and acceptability of a program of mindfulness-based activities with a nonclinical sample of young children within a school setting. In addition, the impact of the program on measures of attention, inhibition, well-being, and mindfulness were assessed. A 4-week program of mindfulness-based activities was delivered within a classroom of 26 children, age 6 to 7 years. The program was feasible to implement and acceptable to the majority of participants. Outcomes assessed at four time points (baseline, pre-, postintervention, and follow-up) demonstrated mixed effects. Sustained attention significantly increased postintervention and inhibition increased significantly during the baseline and intervention period. There was no change in well-being and mindfulness. Limitations on measurements are considered in light of the findings; appropriate measures of mindfulness and well-being need to be developed for this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study sought to establish pupil and teacher views about a six-hour, whole-class mindfulness programme called Paws.b. Pupil post-intervention focus groups and teacher semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain what was interesting and useful about Paws.b, and how it could be developed. Audio recordings were transcribed and thematically analysed. Findings indicated the vast majority of pupils enjoyed Paws.b and it was deemed to be both accessible to pupils and feasible for teachers to deliver. A number of themes highlighted the impact of Paws.b upon pupils’ attention but also on their metacognition and social/emotional functioning, both within and beyond the classroom. Several potentially fruitful adaptations were also proposed. Findings are discussed relative to mindfulness and educational psychology literature, and future directions for research are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system are prone to more traumatic events than other adolescents, leaving them in danger of developmental difficulties. Trauma exposure is predictive of poor outcomes including mental and physical health issues as well as criminal activity. Current treatment approaches either have a nominal effect on recidivism rates or increase the likelihood of future criminal offenses. This article explores adolescent brain development, the unique difficulties that juvenile justice youth face, and mindfulness meditation as an adjunctive treatment to system-based treatment. Mindfulness meditation may be a way to redress damage to the brain and facilitate healthy brain development, thus impacting prosocial behavior. Practice implications include integrating mindfulness meditation as an important part of rehabilitative efforts with juvenile justice youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents two intersecting autoethnographies generated by two academics working in the same university, who were both parent-researchers. We researched aspects of our own children's lives, primarily in the home focusing on their engagement with dance and music. As autoethnographers we engaged in shared and individual systematic sociological introspection. In this inquiry we employed observation, copious field notes, video and photographic recording to gather longitudinal data about often unpredictable moments of creative arts engagement that occurred in the home setting. Our research provided a unique window into child directed dance and music behaviours which are rarely seen and which offers insights into the creative education process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]