When only RCTs with active control groups are analysed, MBI benefits are restricted to Mindfulness (d = .42), Depression (d = .47) and Anxiety/Stress (d = .18)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2019 · checked against its sources 2026-10-16 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q3 i2 In the 17 RCTs with active control conditions, significant MBI benefits remained only for Mindfulness, Depression and Anxiety/Stress; effects on Social Behaviour, Negative Behaviour, Executive Functions and Attention were not significant. → Dunning 2019

Evidence¶

Dunning 2019¶

Dunning, D. L., Griffiths, K., Kuyken, W., Crane, C., Foulkes, L., Parker, J., & Dalgleish, T. (2019). Research Review: The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents – a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12980

q3 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r3

Separate random effects meta-analysis of the 17 studies (n = 1,762) using an RCT design with an active control condition. The review reports benefits "restricted to the outcomes of Mindfulness ( d = .42), Depression ( d = .47) and Anxiety/Stress ( d = .18) only."

"when considering only those RCTs with active control groups, significant benefits of an MBI were restricted to the outcomes of Mindfulness ( d = .42), Depression ( d = .47) and Anxiety/Stress ( d = .18) only."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

Affect Regulation — outcome: instruction changes it
Attention — outcome: instruction changes it

The evidence base for school mindfulness interventions is promising but too variable for definitive practice recommendations — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
Publication bias is evident for Negative Behaviour and Anxiety/Stress across all RCTs and for Mindfulness in active-control RCTs, suggesting overestimation of MBI effects — related
Effect sizes vary by control group type, with wait-list controls yielding the largest mean effect and no-contact controls the smallest — related
Age significantly moderates MBI effects on executive functions across all RCTs (larger benefits with older age) and on negative behaviour in active-control RCTs (larger benefits with younger age) — related
Across all RCTs, mindfulness-based interventions significantly improve mindfulness, executive functioning, attention, depression, anxiety/stress and negative behaviours in youth, with small effect sizes — a broader claim this one bears on
Total training hours significantly moderate MBI effects on negative behaviour across all RCTs, with more hours associated with larger reductions — related
Studies using a no-input control group yield significantly smaller effect sizes, protecting against overestimation — related
Mindfulness interventions in schools show the largest between-group effects for cognitive performance (g = 0.80) and smaller significant effects for stress (g = 0.39) and resilience (g = 0.36) — reports the opposite
Cognitive-only coaching increased deep and achieving learning approaches, academic self-concept, and reduced test anxiety and anxiety/depression, but academic performance declined relative to control; behavioural-only coaching decreased test anxiety and increased academic performance with no other effects. — related

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`claim`
`id`	`active-control-rcts-benefits-restricted`
`title`	`When only RCTs with active control groups are analysed, MBI benefits are restricted to Mindfulness (d = .42), Depression (d = .47) and Anxiety/Stress (d = .18)`
`description`	`When only RCTs with active control groups are analysed, MBI benefits are restricted to Mindfulness (d = .42), Depression (d = .47) and Anxiety/Stress (d = .18)`
`status`	`review`
`evidence_strength`	`moderate`
`newest_evidence`	`2019`
`source_checked`	`2026-10-16`
`generated`	by `process:wiki-ingest` on `2026-10-15`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `dunning-2019`

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