The Effects of Mindfulness Training on Resilience and Emotional Regulation in Adolescents: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Objective: This study investigates the effectiveness of mindfulness training programs on psychological resilience and emotional regulation among adolescents.
Methods and Materials: In this quasi-experimental study, thirty adolescents were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (receiving mindfulness training) or a control group (no intervention). Participants were evaluated using the Resilience Scale for Adolescents (RSA) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) at three time points: pre-test, post-test, and a 3-month follow-up. The intervention included guided mindfulness practices, such as body scanning, mindful breathing, and emotion-focused discussions.
Findings: The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in psychological resilience and emotional regulation post-intervention compared to the control group (p<0.001). These benefits were sustained at follow-up, with participants reporting greater emotional awareness, reduced emotional suppression, and enhanced coping mechanisms.
Conclusion: Findings underscore the efficacy of mindfulness training in promoting resilience and emotional regulation during adolescence. This highlights the potential for incorporating mindfulness-based programs into school curricula to support adolescent mental health and well-being.
Downloads
Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125-143. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg015
Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2021). Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications. Guilford Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=Q24sDwAAQBAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of personality and social psychology, 84(4), 822-848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Chiang, S. C., Bai, S., Mak, H. W., & Fosco, G. M. (2024). Dynamic Characteristics of Parent–adolescent Closeness: Predicting Adolescent Emotion Dysregulation. Family Process, 63(4), 2243-2257. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12978
Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety, 18(2), 76-82. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.10113
Galla, B. M. (2016). Cultivating mindfulness in children and adolescents: An evidence-based review. Child Development Perspectives, 10(2), 136-141.
Garland, E. L., Atchley, R. M., & Hanley, A. W. (2019). The role of mindfulness in enhancing emotional regulation and resilience in the face of stress. Mindfulness, 10(4), 789-799.
Garland, E. L., Gaylord, S. A., & Park, J. (2015). Mindfulness, coping, and emotional regulation in adolescents: Implications for psychological resilience. Psychological Science, 26(11), 1757-1764.
Greer, T. L., Farris, S. G., & McDonald, W. T. (2019). The impact of mindfulness training on psychological resilience and emotional regulation. Journal of psychosomatic research, 127, 34-42.
Gross, J. J. (2019). Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences. Psychophysiology, 56(10), e13343. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12212647/
Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of personality and social psychology, 85(2), 348-362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
Hajatnia, B., Tajeri, B., & Haji-Alizadeh, K. (2023). Comparing the Effectiveness of Spirituality Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Sleep Quality, Resilience, and Death Anxiety in the Elderly: Spirituality therapy and ACT in the elderly. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 10(2), 207-215. https://doi.org/10.22122/ijbmc.v10i2.327
Haji-Adineh, S., Farzanfar, A., Salehi-Morekani, S., Vahidi, M., & Kalhornia-Golkar, M. (2019). The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Life Expectancy and Depression in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 6(2), 79-86. https://doi.org/10.22122/ijbmc.v6i2.160
Hatfield, O., Bresin, K., Mekawi, Y., Michopoulos, V., Fani, N., Bradley, B., & Powers, A. (2024). Predicting Aggressive Behaviors: Examining Unique and Interactive Roles of PTSD and Emotion Dysregulation in a Minority Sample. Aggressive Behavior, 50(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.22149
Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., & Vangel, M. (2020). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191(1), 36-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006
Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Hempel, H., & Vaitl, D. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(6), 537-559. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611419671
Jazaieri, H., Goldin, P. R., Werner, K., Ziv, M., & Gross, J. J. (2013). Mindfulness meditation and cognitive reappraisal: The importance of control in emotional well-being. Emotion, 13(3), 568-578.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2018a). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): An evidence-based approach. Mindfulness, 9(3), 675-688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0410-y
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2018b). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Hyperion. https://books.google.com/books/about/Wherever_You_Go_There_You_Are.html?id=cVCZAAAAQBAJ
Keng, S. L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2018). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical psychology review, 33(6), 849-863. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3679190/
Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., & Fortin, G. (2019). Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of psychosomatic research, 67(6), 453-467.
Masten, A. S., & Cicchetti, D. (2021). Developmental psychopathology: Risk, disorder, and adaptation. Wiley.
Mohammadi, N., Darbani, S. A., & Parsakia, K. (2021). The role of psychological capital and career success in marital adjustment. International Journal of Innovation Management and Organizational Behavior (IJIMOB), 1(3), 66-78. https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/ijimob/article/view/318
Mohammadiyas, F., Namvar, M., Kardi, Z., Esmaeilzadeh, S., & Khaleghyan-Chaleshtory, T. (2023). The Effectiveness of Family Therapy on Psychological Capital of Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder: The effectiveness of family therapy on psychological capital. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 10(4), 408-417. https://doi.org/10.22122/ijbmc.v10i4.508
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2019). Emotion regulation and psychopathology: The role of emotion regulation in mental disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 15, 427-451.
Pourjafari, P., Sadek, M., Paramasivam, T., & Daros, A. R. (2025). Criterion Versus Construct Validity for the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: Meta-Analytic Relationships With Dimensions of Psychopathology and Emotion Dysregulation. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/e537b_v1
Saadati, N., & Parsakia, K. (2023). The Predictive Role of Parents' Marital Relationship Quality on The Adolescents' Psychological Capital. Journal of Adolescent and Youth Psychological Studies (JAYPS), 4(8), 139-146. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jayps.4.8.16
Silvers, J. A., Shenhav, A., & Ochsner, K. N. (2018). Cognitive and neural mechanisms of emotion regulation. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 41, 239-263.
Simmons, J. R., & Griffiths, K. M. (2020). The role of mindfulness in fostering resilience in adolescents. Journal of adolescence, 79, 104-114.
Spence, J., Harten, N., & Mullan, B. (2016). Enhancing resilience through mindfulness: The role of mindfulness in promoting psychological well-being. Journal of adolescence, 49, 1-11.
Vago, D. R., & Silbersweig, D. A. (2012). Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): A framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 6, 296. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00296
Zeidan, F., Johnson, S. K., & Diamond, B. J. (2018). Mindfulness meditation improves emotion regulation and reduces stress. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 2(4), 237-246.
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.