Efeitos da intervenção psicológica no cérebro e suas estratégias de regulação emocional e funções executivas relacionados à pratica de mindfulness em adolescentes

Abstract

Adolescence is a phase of the life cycle of particular importance, where major transformations take place, both in the physical-biological scope and in personal, intellectual and social development. Because they aren’t yet neurologically mature, adolescents enter into cognitive and emotional conflict, which causes greater vulnerability. Emotion regulation is related to the ability to manage emotions and behaviors, inhibitory control and reward/risk processing. Studies indicate that deficits in executive functions, especially in inhibitory control, could increase the difficulty of emotionally self-regulating. That said, approaches can be used that contribute to the emotional regulation capacity and executive functions in adolescents. The objective of the present study is to evaluate whether the mindfulness technique can improve the performance of inhibitory control in young people associated with the emotional variables for which they are willing. Data from the theoretical and empirical literature, published in Portuguese, from 2011 to 2021 were combined and associated with neuroscience evidence on the effects of psychological intervention on the brain and its emotional regulation strategies and executive functions related to the mindfulness technique in adolescents. Studies show that emotional regulation difficulties are an important target for intervention in adolescents when compared to eating problems, anxiety, stress, depression, bipolar disorder and psychopathic traits in adolescence, with mindfulness skills being an important aid tool.