Clinicians Use of Mindfulness-based Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Alternative mental health treatments like mindfulness hold a great deal of promise, but limited research exists on their success and application with the adolescent population. This study investigates the primary research question, “What are the experiences of clinicians providing mindfulness-based treatment to school-aged children in Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic?” This explanatory mixed methods study involves a quantitative survey of clinicians, and will be followed by a virtual focus group to further unpack the value of mindfulness-based practices when working with school-aged children. Survey data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis; focus group data will be analyzed using qualitative content and thematic analyses. Preliminary findings suggest that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on professional’s ability to carry out mindfulness techniques with their clients (66.7% reported a 4 out of 5). Our preliminary findings show that 77.8% of clinicians see a positive impact of utilizing mindfulness techniques (scoring 4 or higher out of 5)