Mindfulness training may help children focus and cope with feelings a bit.

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   3,640 children aged 6 to 12 took part, across 32 studies. Studies of children with ADHD or from low-income homes were left out.

2. 02

   What they did

   The programmes taught children to notice the present moment without judging it. Most comparison groups got nothing extra. Only a few got a different programme.

3. 03

   What happened

   Across all 32 studies, the average effect was small. The strongest studies found gains in attention, in handling feelings and behaviour, and in getting on with others. Mindfulness skill, thinking about thinking, upset feelings and worry showed no clear change.

What the review found

1. HelpedFocus

   Across 12 studies, mindfulness helped children focus more than others.

   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Pooled analysis of 12 studies · vs groups that got nothing extra or another programme · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

2. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 6 studies, mindfulness helped children calm their feelings and actions more than others.

   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Pooled analysis of 6 studies · vs groups that got nothing extra or another programme · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

3. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 6 studies, mindfulness helped children feel good about themselves more than others.

   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Pooled analysis of 6 studies · vs groups that got nothing extra or another programme · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

4. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 5 studies, mindfulness helped children get on better with peers than others.

   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Pooled analysis of 5 studies · vs groups that got nothing extra or another programme · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

Source