---
title: "Mindful practices for the health promotion and empowerment of institutionalized youth and young adults in Peru - Center for Nonviolent Communication"
description: ""
url: "https://www.cnvc.org/learn/research/mindful-practices-health-promotion-empowerment-institutionalized-youth-peru"
date: "2026-11-06T20:22:18+00:00"
language: "en-US"
---

#  Mindful practices for the health promotion and empowerment of institutionalized youth and young adults in Peru

Master’s Thesis by **Shen, Sherry (Chen Yu)** in English (2013)

 University of Arizona

Mindful practices for the health promotion and empowerment of institutionalized youth and young adults in Peru

**Background:** Poverty and conflict negatively affect the mental, emotional and behavioral health of youth. I conducted my internship in La Comunidad Sagrada Familia (LCSF), an institution in a Peruvian urban slum housing more than 830 youth and young adults from lower socioeconomic and elevated violent circumstances. LCSF lacks sufficient resources, adequate care and is witness to frequent conflicts.

**Goals:** To enhance psychological and social quality of life and increase empathy for others and self (self-connection with one’s emotions and needs).

**Methods:** I adapted a psychosocial health curriculum based on mindfulness practices and Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (www.cnvc.org) to train university students residing at LCSF for curriculum delivery to LCSF youth ages 14-18. To evaluate the curriculum and its implementation, two surveys, focus groups, and interviews with youth and young adults were conducted before and after the curriculum delivery, along with participantobservation throughout implementation.

**Results:** Three of 10 recruited university students completed the training to deliver the curriculum. Nineteen of 39 recruited youth completed all sessions and the pre/post-surveys. Conflict of schedules and obligations to the site director took priority resulting in high attrition for both groups. While overall post-intervention survey scores for youth regressed, individual scores and interview data 8 indicated reduced stress and increased empathy and empowerment for both groups.

Qualitative findings revealed high levels of distrust, conflicts, and stress among participants.

**Recommendations:** Future projects should explore long-term support for trained adults, staff inclusion to support retention and organizational change, and attention to subtle cultural understandings for effective curriculum delivery.

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