To the Editor:Re “Are We Being Too Mindful?” (Science Times, May 7):As someone who has worked in higher education mental health promotion and suicide prevention for more than 30 years, I was pleased to read this article, which discussed the potential drawbacks of too much focus on mindfulness and universal mental health training in schools.
In speaking to teachers and parents about youth mental health, I often suggest a simple thought experiment.
It is not hard to imagine that very soon the child would become convinced that something must be terribly wrong.
This problem has potentially more dire consequences when we consider suicide prevention training.
Training that doesn’t provide clear context and pathways to help might actually increase risk for youth.
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Science Times