Mindfulness gave children small gains on most measures, but attention is unclear.
No differenceThe short version
Across 8 studies, mindfulness did not clearly help attention more than other groups.
- 8
- studies pooled
- 1,158
- children and teenagers, mostly at school
- 1 tool
- tested
The review
Who took part
33 studies took part, with 3,666 children and teenagers whose average ages were about 5 to 17. Most were school pupils; others were in detention, had mental health problems, or came from poor or minority backgrounds.
What they did
Children went to in-person mindfulness classes led by trained teachers, for 2 to 24 weeks. The classes included regular meditation and lasted about 1.5 to 18 hours in all. The other groups had no contact, were still waiting, or did another activity.
What happened
Children did a little better than the other groups on mindfulness, planning and working memory. They also had less depression and anxiety, and fewer behaviour problems. On attention, the paper's text finds no clear gain, but its table shows a small one, so the result is unclear.
What the review found
- No difference
Across 8 studies, mindfulness did not clearly help attention more than other groups.
Pooled analysis of 8 studies with 1,158 people · vs children who had no contact or did another activity · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited
How solid is this?
- Large group
- Numbers unreliable
- Whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited
Source
Research Review: The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2019)
DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12980 (opens in a new tab)
