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Although shame plays a vital role in psychosocial functioning and development, it has also been implicated in several mental health problems, such as depression, suicidal behavior, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Given the potentially debilitating impact of shame on adjustment, an understanding of resilience in the face of this emotion is essential. The purpose of this study was to explore how adults bounce back from significant shame experiences, based on the subjective perspectives of participants. Interviews were conducted with 13 adults who recalled events or situations that elicited intense feelings of shame. Grounded theory was used in the collection and analysis of the data. In the findings, shame is conceptualized as an assault on the self, where the individual's self-concept, social connection, and sense of power and control come under attack. Individuals bounce back from this adversity through a process of self-reconstruction. This process is represented by the core category rebuilding of the self and by 5 interrelated subcategories, including connecting, refocusing, accepting, understanding, and resisting. Implications for counseling and directions for further research are discussed. (Contains 1 figure.)

Background: Mental illness is among the most common causes of morbidity, mortality, and disability in childhood. Mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) has shown significant benefit in mental health; however, evidence of its effectiveness in youth is limited. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of MBSR plus usual care versus usual care alone for reducing mental health symptoms in youth. Methods: A two‐arm, mixed methods, randomized cluster‐controlled trial of 12–18 year olds who were residents of CASA House, a voluntary residential treatment program for adolescents, between January 2011 and March 2013 (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01307943). Interventions: Treatment terms were randomized to usual care, or MBSR plus usual care, which included eight MBSR sessions of 2 hr/week. Outcomes: The primary outcome was impact on emotions and behavior at the end of the program, using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC‐2). Secondary outcomes included perceived stress levels, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. Results: A total of 85 participants were randomized to either the MBSR arm (n = 45) or control arm (n = 40). Significant differences in favor of MBSR were found on Teacher ratings of the Internalizing Problems (p = .038) and Adaptive Skills subscales (p = .022) on the BASC‐2. No significant differences were found on other outcomes. A post hoc analysis found that the MBSR arm had a significantly shorter time to discharge (p = .02). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that MBSR is effective for improved coping with internalizing problems and adaptive emotional skills in our sample. Future studies should focus on larger, longer‐term studies in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background While studies on mindfulness-based stress reduction ( MBSR) for youth have recently emerged, there is a shortage of research on how adolescents from clinical populations experience MBSR. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the impact of MBSR from the subjective perspective of adolescents with serious mental health concerns. Method Adolescents ( n = 28) from a residential treatment center participated in an adapted 8-week MBSR program in which they learned a range of mindfulness skills and were encouraged to apply the skills to their everyday lives. At the end of the program and at a 3-month follow-up, the youth participated in semistructured interviews in which they were asked to describe the impact of the program from their perspectives. Basic interpretive qualitative analysis methods were used to code the data and to group the codes into higher level themes. Results Six main themes were found, including improved mood, enhanced relationship to self, increased self-control, improved problem-solving, awareness of the present, and enhanced interpersonal relationships. Discussion Results from this study suggest that the MBSR program was perceived as beneficial both in the short-term and follow-up in several aspects of emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]