How does mindfulness modulate self-regulation in pre-adolescent children? : An integrative neurocognitive review

Pre-adolescence is a key developmental period in which complex intrinsic volitional methods of self-regulation are acquired as a result of rapid maturation within the brain networks underlying the self-regulatory processes of attention control and emotion regulation. Fostering adaptive self-regulation skills during this stage of development has strong implications for physical health, emotional and socio-economic outcomes during adulthood. There is a growing interest in mindfulness-based programmes for pre-adolescents with initial findings suggesting self-regulation improvements, however, neurodevelopmental studies on mindfulness with pre-adolescents are scarce. This analytical review outlines an integrative neuro-developmental approach, which combines self-report and behavioural assessments with event related brain potentials (ERPs) to provide a systemic multilevel understanding of the neurocognitive mechanisms of mindfulness in pre-adolescence. We specifically focus on the N2, error related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe), P3a, P3b and late positive potential (LPP) ERP components as indexes of mindfulness related modulations in non-volitional bottom-up self-regulatory processes (salience detection, stimulus driven orienting and mind wandering) and volitional top-down self-regulatory processes (endogenous orienting and executive attention)

Working with refugees and torture survivors: help for the helpers

We look in this article at the needs of people working with asylum-seekers and refugees in the UK, drawing on our experience with different refugee agencies over the last 15 years in reception-centre work, training, supervision and programme evaluation. We examine the nature of work with refugees and what kinds of stress workers experience. We suggest that workers need some balance between giving and getting support and consider how organisations can help

Developing your skills in transcultural training

This article considers what social workers may have to contribute in a training role in situations of refugee crises overseas. It is in the form of an open letter to a British social worker who was preparing to work in Croatia. It explores the possibilities of combining Western therapeutic techniques with local and culturally appropriate approaches to community development. The article stresses the need to acknowledge and address the emotional impact of the work and the workers' own concerns, and discusses the kind of on-going support needed by workers. Teaching methods and course content are considered, with a view to creating a safe atmosphere and an interesting programme, taking into account cultural considerations. The article is of relevance to social workers in a variety of roles in the UK which might broadly be termed training, as well as to the more specific circumstances which form its focus