Translating and Implementing a Mindfulness-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Intervention in a Native American Community

The present study is a feasibility study, aimed at investigating whether a mindfulness-based prevention intervention can be translated and implemented in a Native American youth population. Guided by the adaptation process model, a mindfulness youth suicide prevention intervention was developed and implemented in a Native American school. One group of eight youth, ages 15–20, participated in a 9-week pilot of the intervention. Results of the mixed-methods process and outcome evaluation suggest that the intervention is acceptable to Native American youth, with positive indications in terms of better self-regulation, less mind wandering, and decreased suicidal thoughts. It became clearly evident that a collaborative and indigenous research framework is both required and necessary to ensure feasibility and sustainability of mindfulness-based interventions.