Mindful Coping Power Effects on Children's Autonomic Nervous System Functioning and Long-Term Behavioral Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Preventive Interventions
• Mindfulness Research

Background:

• Reactive aggression in children poses significant challenges.
• Existing interventions like Coping Power (CP) show promise but can be enhanced.
• Mindfulness training offers potential benefits for self-regulation and emotional control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term behavioral outcomes of Mindful Coping Power (MCP) compared to CP.
• To investigate the impact of MCP on children's social skills and reactive aggression at a one-year follow-up.
• To explore the role of autonomic nervous system functioning and inhibitory control in MCP's effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A randomized trial involving 102 children, with a one-year follow-up subsample of 80 children.
• Teacher-reported behavioral outcomes, including social skills and reactive aggression, were assessed.
• Autonomic nervous system functioning (skin conductance, respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and inhibitory control were measured.

Main Results:

• MCP significantly improved children's social skills and showed a trend for reduced reactive aggression compared to CP at one-year follow-up.
• MCP enhanced autonomic nervous system functioning, specifically skin conductance reactivity, from pre- to post-intervention.
• Improvements in inhibitory control mediated the effect of MCP on long-term reactive aggression.

Conclusions:

• Mindful Coping Power (MCP) is a valuable preventive tool for improving embodied awareness, self-regulation, and stress physiology in at-risk youth.
• MCP demonstrates long-term benefits for observable behaviors, including enhanced social skills and reduced aggression.
• Inhibitory control and autonomic nervous system functioning are crucial targets for preventive interventions aimed at reducing childhood aggression.