Mindfulness Intervention with African-American Caregivers at a Head Start Program: An Acceptability and Feasibility Study

Caregiver psychological distress is a critical determinant of child developmental outcomes and increased risk for child psychopathology. An emerging literature on mindfulness-based interventions for caregivers has demonstrated the potential to enhance caregiver coping abilities. However, scant literature exists on the feasibility and acceptability of mindfulness interventions in African-American communities. The goal of the current study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a mindfulness-based group intervention for African-American caregivers of young children attending a Head Start Center. We also examined pre- and post-intervention measures related to caregiver mental health to assess the promise of this intervention for generating meaningful clinical outcomes.

We conducted a mixed method, single-arm implementation study combining semi-structured focus groups, participant exit interviews, and quantitative measures related to mental health symptoms, parenting, and mindfulness.

Our findings support the feasibility and acceptability of using mindfulness with predominantly African-American caregivers of young children attending a Head Start early learning program. Study participants cited a range of benefits in interviews including improvements in mindfulness, and psychological distress. Significant pre- to post-improvements in piloted measures were identified including sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, trauma symptoms, and negative and positive affect.

These results provide preliminary support for the use of a mindfulness-based approach for African-American families, though more research is needed to determine the effectiveness.