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


Author: Britton WB1, Lepp NE2, Niles HF3, Rocha T4, Fisher NE5, Gold JS6.

Affiliation: 1Brown University Contemplative Studies Initiative, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Medical School, USA. Electronic address: Willoughby_Britton@Brown.edu. 2Brown University Contemplative Studies Initiative, USA. 3Brown University Contemplative Studies Initiative, USA; Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA. 4Brown University Contemplative Studies Initiative, USA; Mind & Life Institute, USA. 5Brown University Contemplative Studies Initiative, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Medical School, USA. 6Brown University Contemplative Studies Initiative, USA; Moses Brown School, USA.
Conference/Journal: J Sch Psychol
Date published: 2014 Jun
Other:
 Volume ID: 52   ,  Issue ID: 3   ,  Pages: 263-78   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2014.03.002   ,  Word Count: 173  
    

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.

Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KEYWORDS:

Children; Contemplative education; Mindfulness meditation; Pre-adolescent; School; Social and emotional learning



PMID: 24930819