Mindful practices for the health promotion and empowerment of institutionalized youth and young adults in Peru

by Shen, Sherry (Chen Yu) in English (2013)

Background: Poverty and conflict negatively affect the mental, emotional and behavioral health of youth. I conducted my internship in La Comunidad Sagrada Familia (LCSF), an institution in a Peruvian urban slum housing more than 830 youth and young adults from lower socioeconomic and elevated violent circumstances. LCSF lacks sufficient resources, adequate care and is witness to frequent conflicts. Goals: To enhance psychological and social quality of life and increase empathy for others and self (self-connection with one’s emotions and needs). Methods: I adapted a psychosocial health curriculum based on mindfulness practices and Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (www.cnvc.org) to train university students residing at LCSF for curriculum delivery to LCSF youth ages 14-18. To evaluate the curriculum and its implementation, two surveys, focus groups, and interviews with youth and young adults were conducted before and after the curriculum delivery, along with participantobservation throughout implementation. Results: Three of 10 recruited university students completed the training to deliver the curriculum. Nineteen of 39 recruited youth completed all sessions and the pre/post-surveys. Conflict of schedules and obligations to the site director took priority resulting in high attrition for both groups. While overall post-intervention survey scores for youth regressed, individual scores and interview data 8 indicated reduced stress and increased empathy and empowerment for both groups.

Qualitative findings revealed high levels of distrust, conflicts, and stress among participants.

Recommendations: Future projects should explore long-term support for trained adults, staff inclusion to support retention and organizational change, and attention to subtle cultural understandings for effective curriculum delivery.

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