Evolving Toward Community-Based Participatory Research: Lessons Learned from a Mindful Parenting Project

Much of the research involving mindfulness, meditation, and other awareness-based interventions have repeated many historical patterns in non-participatory research that exclude Black communities and perpetuate racial hierarchies. A shift toward community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches is critical to facilitating authentic community partnership and advancing racial equity. The objective of this case study was to describe the evolution of a research-practice partnership within a parent mindfulness intervention study, which took place at a predominantly Black school community, as the project team increasingly incorporated CBPR principles into the project.

Following pilot phase, the project team (including researchers, mindfulness teachers, and project staff) along with a cohort of prior participants engaged in a series of facilitated reflective discussions and semi-structured interviews. These discussions examined various challenges within the research-practice partnership and the principles of CBPR that alleviated these challenges, to highlight key lessons learned from critical phases of the project.

The case study demonstrates that applying CBPR principles cultivated an enhance sense of authentic partnership in key phases of the project: developing a theory of change (TOC) and evaluation strategy; assembling project team roles and responsibilities; measure selection, data collection and interpretation; and during dissemination efforts.

Our lessons learned demonstrate how a commitment to CBPR principles can culminate in an intervention and evaluation process grounded in racial equity and help build community investment in mindfulness research.