A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children

The current study is a pilot trial to examine the effects of a nonelective, classroom-based, teacher-implemented, mindfulness meditation intervention on standard clinical measures of mental health and affect in middle school children. A total of 101 healthy sixth-grade students (55 boys, 46 girls) w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of school psychology 2014-06, Vol.52 (3), p.263-278
Main Authors: Britton, Willoughby B., Lepp, Nathaniel E., Niles, Halsey F., Rocha, Tomas, Fisher, Nathan E., Gold, Jonathan S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Awareness
Child
Children
Clinical standards
Contemplative education
Female
Humans
Male
Meditation
Mental Health
Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation
Pilot Projects
Pre-adolescent
School
Selfinjury
Social and emotional learning
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Stress, Psychological - therapy
Treatment Outcome
Young people
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Summary:The current study is a pilot trial to examine the effects of a nonelective, classroom-based, teacher-implemented, mindfulness meditation intervention on standard clinical measures of mental health and affect in middle school children. A total of 101 healthy sixth-grade students (55 boys, 46 girls) were randomized to either an Asian history course with daily mindfulness meditation practice (intervention group) or an African history course with a matched experiential activity (active control group). Self-reported measures included the Youth Self Report (YSR), a modified Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Measure –Revised. Both groups decreased significantly on clinical syndrome subscales and affect but did not differ in the extent of their improvements. Meditators were significantly less likely to develop suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm than controls. These results suggest that mindfulness training may yield both unique and non-specific benefits that are shared by other novel activities.
ISSN:0022-4405
1873-3506
DOI:10.1016/j.jsp.2014.03.002