Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Young Offenders: a Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Criminology
• Public Health

Background:

• Youth offending is a global issue often linked to adverse childhood experiences, mental health challenges, and poor quality of life.
• Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) show potential for managing such issues, but their efficacy in youth offending populations requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for young people within the criminal justice system.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search identified 13 studies (including RCTs, controlled trials, pre-post, mixed-methods, and qualitative designs).
• Studies included interventions with core mindfulness-based stress reduction components delivered to incarcerated or community-rehabilitated youth.
• The review analyzed outcomes related to mental health, self-regulation, behavior, substance use, quality of life, and criminal propensity.

Main Results:

• Participants (n=842, 99% male, aged 14-23) showed some improvements in mental health, self-regulation, behavior, and quality of life.
• Mindfulness changes did not reach statistical significance in studies measuring it.
• Qualitative data indicated reduced stress, improved concentration, emotional regulation, social skills, and intervention acceptability.

Conclusions:

• MBIs may offer benefits for youth offenders, but the generally low quality of existing studies limits generalizability.
• Further research with clearer intervention components and robust mixed-methods designs is needed to optimize prevention programs.