Mindfulness Intervention Theory of Change

Designed a 12-year longitudinal evaluation framework for a daily mindfulness intervention targeting middle-school students.

Context

The proposed intervention consisted of a 10-minute app-based mindfulness session delivered daily after lunch in grades 6–8. The goal was to evaluate whether sustained exposure to structured mindfulness practice produces durable improvements in well-being into early adulthood.

Theory of Change

The model assumed:

• Daily structured attention training improves emotional regulation
• Improved regulation increases resilience and social functioning
• Sustained improvements compound over time

Outcomes were measured using the Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving (CIT), a multi-dimensional well-being instrument.

Study Design

• Intervention and comparison schools within the same district
• Longitudinal measurement beginning in grade 6 and extending five years post–high school
• Difference-in-differences (DiD) framework
• Parallel trends validation

Validity Considerations

Internal validity threats were systematically evaluated, including maturation effects, attrition bias, and selection bias. The design explicitly addressed identification assumptions required for causal interpretation.