Adolescent Anxiety: Implementing Mindfulness Techniques To Lessen Mental Health Crises

Adolescence is one of the most challenging times in life as many transitions occur while a child grows into a young adult. In a school-based program, this doctoral of nursing practice project implemented mindfulness techniques to lessen mental health crises in anxious adolescents. This scholarly project educated adolescents in a small town in rural southeast Minnesota on the effective coping exercises of mindfulness and deep breathing to lessen anxiety and decrease mental health crises. Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring is the framework for the project and three of her Carative Factors guided this project. A literature review identified opportunities for further examination. Mindfulness techniques are shown to lessen adolescent anxiety and improve self-awareness such as one’s mind going blank before an exam or sweaty hands before asking a question in front of others. Future research efforts should be aimed at understanding the process at work in mindfulness techniques by mentoring adolescents to create a guided daily routine to incorporate mindfulness techniques