A Importância do Mindfulness na Promoção da Saúde Mental dos Alunos do Ensino Médio Integrado na EPT

Abstract

This dissertation was developed within the Professional Marster´s Graduate Program in Professional and Technological Education (ProfEPT) at the Federal Institute of Acre, under Research Line 1: Educational Practices in Professional and Technological Education, as part of Macroproject 1: Methodological Proposals and Teaching Resources in Formal and Non-Formal Learning Spaces in Professional and Technological Education. Analyzes the importance of mindfulness in promoting the mental health of students in Integrated High School (EMI) within the scope of Professional and Technological Education (EPT). The motivation for the research stems from the increase in cases of stress, anxiety, and emotional distress among young people, intensified by the post-pandemic scenario. The central problem consisted of investigating how the practice of mindfulness can favor the mental health and school well-being of students, contributing to the improvement of interpersonal relationships and academic performance at IFAC – Rio Branco Campus. The justification lies in the urgent need for pedagogical alternatives that consider the student in their entirety, uniting cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions. The general objective was to evaluate the contribution of mindfulness to the mental health, social relationships, and academic performance of students at IFAC – Rio Branco Campus. Specific objectives included describing student perceptions of mental health, identifying educational practices related to the topic, and developing mindfulness workshops as a preventive strategy. The methodology employed a qualitative approach, grounded in the interpretative paradigm and social constructivism. Questionnaires, group discussions, and an adapted stress signal scale were used within a participatory research framework. Up to 16 students aged 15 to 16 participated in the four workshops. The results revealed high rates of anxiety symptoms and concentration difficulties before the intervention. After the mindfulness workshops— held during breaks between classes, with practices of conscious breathing, body scanning, and guided meditation—students reported improvements in calmness, sleep, focus, and emotional self-regulation. The educational product "Respira e Não Pira" (Breathe and Don't Freak Out) organized the workshops in a replicable format for other institutions. It is concluded that mindfulness strengthens mental health and contributes to the holistic development of students, although the research acknowledges limitations regarding the application time and the restricted number of participants.