Designing and Refining a Mindfulness Questionnaire for Black Youth: The Process of Capturing Cross-Cultural Differences in Trait Mindfulness

Carter, Zoie Victoria

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Year:: 2023
Contributor:: Carter, Zoie Victoria (creator); Proulx, Jeffrey (Advisor); Elsaesser, Caitlin (Reader); Brown University. School of Public Health (sponsor)
Genre:: theses
Subject:: Mindfulness; scale development; Youth, Black
Extent:: , None p.

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Abstract:: The field of mindfulness has gained increasing attention in Western science, with mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) being used to bolster well-being and provide alternative therapies for various clinical conditions. Increasing evidence points to the benefits of MBIs for young populations, with several studies indicating the effectiveness of MBIs in improving adolescents' physical and psychological well-being. Consequently, a rising focus has been on incorporating children and adolescents into mindfulness research. Unfortunately, research has shown that the growing body of evidence has primarily focused on middle and upper-class White youth, leaving marginalized communities, including Black youth, excluded from the benefits of MBIs. Black youth are less likely to have access to traditional forms of treatment and have a higher prevalence of mental health distress due to structural forms of oppression, interpersonal discrimination, and racism. In response, researchers have begun to intentionally adapt mindfulness interventions to be culturally responsive to the growing needs of Black youth. However, as the number of culturally adapted mindfulness programs for Black adolescents rises, so does the need for culturally sensitive validated instruments to assess mindfulness in these communities. There is currently a dearth of validated measures explicitly designed to assess mindfulness in diverse adolescent populations. This gap in mindfulness research is deeply troubling, as it assumes that mindfulness is acultural and is experienced similarly across different cultural contexts. Therefore, it is essential to develop adequate measures that reflect the expression of cross-cultural differences in mindfulness. Without these tools, researchers will continue to use measures designed mainly by and for White youth when working with diverse adolescents. By doing so, scientists contribute to the erasure of mindfulness in these communities. To address this gap, our team sought to design a mindfulness survey for a group of Black adolescents (ages 12 to 19) in Hartford, Connecticut, in a systematic, two-phase process. In phase one, we developed the Black Youth Mindfulness Questionnaire (BYMQ) by adapting pre-existing items and constructing entirely new items, all of which were informed by an extensive literature review and focus group data. Our qualitative data revealed distinct differences in perceptions of mindfulness and language used to describe these conceptualizations among Black youth. These differences were woven into the creation of the first iteration of the BYMQ through a series of steps, including (1) focus groups, (2) a literature review, (3) synthesis of data, and (4) item development. In phase two, we refined the BYMQ through expert validation and cognitive interviews with potential respondents to create a more culturally relevant survey reflecting trait mindfulness among Black youth. The finalized BYMQ was then pilot tested in a larger sample of Black youth from Hartford, and the results are currently being analyzed. In embarking on this process, we are underscoring that the experiences of mindfulness are unique for Black youth and that these experiences are worth capturing.
Notes:: Thesis (M. P. H.)--Brown University, 2023

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Citation

Carter, Zoie Victoria, "Designing and Refining a Mindfulness Questionnaire for Black Youth: The Process of Capturing Cross-Cultural Differences in Trait Mindfulness" (2023). Public Health Theses and Dissertations. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:2dbqdm2u/

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Public Health Theses and Dissertations

Theses and Dissertations for the Public Health department.
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