Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C)

Scientific Rating:
3
Promising Research Evidence
See scale of 1-5

Additional Implementation Resources

Since this program Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) was highly rated on the Scientific Rating Scale, program representatives were asked to provide additional implementation information.

Pre-Implementation Materials

There are pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) as listed below:

The MBCT-C treatment manual is required reading prior to implementation:

Semple, R. J., & Lee, J. (2011). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for anxious children: A manual for treating childhood anxiety. New Harbinger Publications.

Both the book and the e-book are available through New Harbinger Publications (http://www.newharbinger.com/mindfulness-based-cognitive-therapy-anxious-children) and many other booksellers.

Formal Support for Implementation

There is formal support available for implementation of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) as listed below:

The program representative listed at the bottom of the page and trainers listed in the training section above are available by request for teleconference or onsite support for clinical consultation and coaching. The program representative is available for consultation on research design and methodology, fidelity monitoring, leadership coaching, and program effectiveness evaluations. Fees for these optional services are determined between each trainer and organization.

Fidelity Measures

There are fidelity measures for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) as listed below:

  • Two program-specific evaluation questionnaires (one for parents and one for child participants) are included as Appendix D in the MBCT-C treatment manual. These are used to assess acceptability and satisfaction with the program. These are client self-report questionnaires that require no training to administer or score. Both evaluation questionnaires are included with this application.
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children Adherence Scale (MBCT-C-AS; Semple & Sears, 2014) is a 20-item measure of MBCT-C components that can be observer-rated or self-rated by the group therapist for each session. Response choices define evidence for the presence of each MBCT-C component on a three-point scale: "not at all", "slight/inconsistent" or "clear/consistent". The MBCT-C-AS has not yet been validated, although it was adapted from, and is very similar to, the adult MBCT Adherence Scale, which is a validated measure. This is a research measure of fidelity that requires understanding and experience with MBCT-C in order to complete the ratings. The MBCT-C-AS is included with this application.

All three of these measures are available free of charge by request. Email: MBCTforChildren@gmail.com

Implementation Guides or Manuals

There are implementation guides or manuals for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) as listed below:

The thorough, session-by-session, treatment manual provides information on the theory, background, and development of MBCT-C, and about childhood anxiety.

Logistical considerations for organizations who wish to implement the intervention include suggested therapist education and experience; therapist attitudes (e.g., openness, acceptance, nonjudgment); the importance of having a personal mindfulness practice; clinical supervision, screening for appropriate children; group composition; adapting interventions to the needs of each group; necessary resources; and parent involvement.

The book is available through New Harbinger Publications (http://www.newharbinger.com/mindfulness-based-cognitive-therapy-anxious-children) and many other booksellers. An e-book version is also available from the publisher's website at http://nhpubs.com/7208

Research on How to Implement the Program

Research has been conducted on how to implement Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) as listed below:

  • Semple, R. J., Reid, E. F., & Miller, L. (2005). Treating anxiety with mindfulness: An open trial of mindfulness training for anxious children. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 19(4), 379–392. https://doi.org/10.1891/jcop.2005.19.4.379
  • Lee, J., Semple, R. J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. (2008). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children: Results of a pilot study. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 22(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1891/0889.8391.22.1.15
  • Semple, R. J., Lee, J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. F. (2010). A randomized trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children: Promoting mindful attention to enhance social-emotional resiliency in children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19, 218–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9301-y
  • Dehghani, F., Amiri, S., Molavi, H., & Neshat-Doost, H. T. (2014). Effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy on female elementary students with generalized anxiety disorder. International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Research, 3(3), 159-165.
  • Cotton, S., Luberto, C. M., Sears, R. W., Strawn, J. R., Stahl, L., Wasson, R. S., Blom, M. P., & Delbello, M. P. (2016). Mindfulness–Based Cognitive Therapy for youth with anxiety disorders at risk for bipolar disorder: A pilot trial. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 10(5), 426-434. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.12216
  • Esmaeilian, N., Dehghani, M., Dehghani, Z., & Lee, J. (2017). Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy enhances emotional resiliency in children with divorced parents. Mindfulness, 9, 1052–1062. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0840-9