Boosting First-Line Mental Health Care for Adolescents Suffering from Chronic Conditions with Mindfulness: Results from a Randomized Staggered Within-Subjects Design

Adolescents with chronic conditions are at an increased risk for psychopathology, which may impact their quality of life. Reviews suggest that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are promising to support these adolescents. This pilot study investigated the effects of an MBI on emotional distress and quality of life and examined potential mechanisms in adolescents with chronic conditions using a randomized staggered within-subjects design. Twenty-two adolescents (14–18 years) with a chronic condition were randomized to a baseline phase of 14–28 days, followed by an MBI, consisting of four bi-weekly online group sessions. Outcomes were assessed by repeated measurements at the baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases, and by standardized questionnaires and experience sampling measures before randomisation, at post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Additionally, interviews were performed. Our main findings showed that stress levels significantly increased (b = 0.35, 95 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (NCT04359563).