Mindfulness and Self-Compassion With Caregivers Working With Delinquent Youth

Summary

The work carried out in Youth Detention Centers (YDC) represents a set of challenges for caregivers, who are in the frontline of juvenile delinquency. These professionals have daily to cope daily with work and relational challenges, while experiencing high levels of stress and physical and emotional fatigue. As such, taking care of the well-being of these professionals is of paramount importance, moreso as they are fundamental in the rehabilitation of young offenders. Still, the usual training/interventions offered to these professionals does not consider/fit to their psychological, emotional, or psychical difficulties. Recent studies have explored the impact of contextual cognitive-behavioral interventions with caregivers (e.g., parents of individuals with developmental disabilities, nurses, healthcare providers), namely those based on Mindfulness and Self-Compassion. The Mindfulness Self-Compassion Program (MSC) has been found to be effective in reducing caregivers' overwhelmed feelings about their own suffering and/or the suffering of others.

This clinical trial intends to explore the adequacy of the adapted form of MSC (12 group sessions) to caregivers working in YDC, and to establish its effectiveness. Two main studies will be carried out: 1) a parallel non-randomized clinical trial, in which the effectiveness of the program will be explored, as well as the mechanisms of change of the participants' responsiveness to the intervention; and 2) individual interviews to assess qualitatively the participants' perception about the usefulness and impact of the intervention (concerning their relationship with youth and with work colleagues, their relationship with themselves and the general climate of the YDC). A sample of youth placed in each selected YDC will be recruited and will be assessed through self-report questionnaires at the same moments as caregivers samples. It is hypothesized that the adapted form of MSC will produce significant improvements in outcome measures when comparing caregivers who receive the intervention program with those in the control group. Specifically, it is expected an improvement in caregivers' positive feelings and well-being, in their sensitivity and compassion towards others' suffering, as well as a decrease on some indicators of stress and suffering. Consequently, it is also expected that youth in YDC perceive more warmth and safeness experiences with caregivers and report increases in their interpersonal functioning.

Conditions

• Caregivers of Delinquent Youth

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Caregivers working in Youth Detention Centres

The adapted form of the MSC is a 12-session structured program, delivered on a weekly basis in group. It intends to cultivate a compassionate-self as well as increase the awareness of personal patterns of functioning and learning to respond to them in a kind and courageous way. Each session lasts about 2 hours. Each session has the following structure: Grounding exercise; sharing individual insights about the weekly practice; Reviewing the previous session and link for the session theme; coffee break; soft landing exercise; Formal/Informal practice(s); Session summary and challenges to be applied during the week; Session evaluation and take-off. Each participant receives a manual with the contents shared in each session as well as some space for individual reflections. On the day after each session, a summary email is sent to the participants, resuming the contents and with records of the (in)formal practices delivered. All the sessions will be delivered in a space on each YDC.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Coimbra

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Marlene M Paulo, Master · Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences - University of Coimbra.

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

14 Years

Max Age

70 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-09-15

Primary Completion

2022-10-30

Completion

2024-03-28

Countries

• Portugal

Study Locations