The experimental group received 8 sessions of Mindfulness and Art Therapy Group Program (MATG-P), each lasting 45-60 minutes.

Adolescents allocated to the control group did not receive any intervention during the study period. Adolescents in the control group were placed on a waiting list and, if still residing at the center, were offered the intervention after the study finished. They continued with their routine activities and the services provided by the Welfare Organization, but no structured therapeutic program was delivered to them. To minimize attention effect, the control group engaged in brief, non-therapeutic sessions designed to control for attention without incorporating the specific techniques of MATG P. These sessions consisted of neutral, informational discussions while avoiding any direct engagement in mindfulness-based techniques or art therapy. This design enabled a direct comparison between adolescents who received MATG P and the control g

Each session of MATG-P included three components: a meditation practice of 10 to 15 minutes, a reflective art activity of 20 to 30 minutes, and a therapeutic discussion of about 15 minutes. Session's themes followed the original curriculum, beginning with body and breath awareness in the first three weeks. Emotional awareness was emphasized in weeks four and five, where pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings were explored. Week six focused on awareness of awareness of attitudes, while weeks seven and eight were dedicated to values and loving kindness practices. Caregiver-child meetings were designed in the first and last weeks, during which adolescents guided their caregivers in meditation, thereby reinforcing mindfulness and art practices beyond the intervention sessions.

Body self-concept is a central dimension of self-concept, which includes the thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors associated with the perceived body and is experienced more as a feeling rather than explicit verbal descriptions. It was measured using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSCS). Scores range from 0 to 80. Higher scores indicate a more positive body self-concept.

Shame is a self-conscious emotion characterized by negative evaluations of the self, feelings of worthlessness, inferiority, and self-devaluation. It was measured using the Guilt and Shame Experience Scale (GSES). Scores range from 8 to 32, with higher scores indicating greater experiences of shame.