School meditation programmes foster small improvements in well-being, more consistently reducing negative outcomes than promoting positive ones¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r3 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2015 · checked against its sources 2026-10-23 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Meditation programmes show small improvements in student well-being, with benefits more consistent for reducing negative states (anxiety, stress, negative affect) than for promoting positive states. → Lea Waters 2015 q3 i3 In Mendelson et al.'s RCT, mood was unaffected but meditating students scored significantly lower on involuntary stress responses (e.g. involuntary engagement d=.83, rumination d=.70). → Lea Waters 2015 (2)

Evidence¶

Lea Waters 2015¶

Lea Waters, Adam Barsky, Amanda Ridd, Kelly Allen. (2015). Contemplative Education: A Systematic, Evidence-Based Review of the effect of Meditation Interventions in Schools. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-014-9258-2

q3 · i? · review · r3

The review's synthesis of nine studies (n=1,483) on well-being, providing 17 results of which 59% were significant, with Cohen's d ranging from 0.02 to 0.62. The review concludes "The benefits are more consistent for reducing negative rather than promoting positive outcomes."

"The overall profile suggests that meditation fosters small improvements in well-being. The benefits are more consistent for reducing negative rather than promoting positive outcomes."

Lea Waters 2015 (2)¶

Lea Waters, Adam Barsky, Amanda Ridd, Kelly Allen. (2015). Contemplative Education: A Systematic, Evidence-Based Review of the effect of Meditation Interventions in Schools. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-014-9258-2

q3 · i3 · review · r3

This systematic review summarises one of its included studies, Mendelson et al. (2010), a randomised controlled trial of 12 weeks of mindfulness meditation in fourth and fifth graders (intervention=51, control=46); Waters et al. did not run the trial themselves. The review reports no differences in positive or negative affect, but significant reductions in stress responses with printed effect sizes, e.g. "involuntary engagement (d=.83)" and rumination d=.70.

"at post-test, students who underwent the intervention scored significantly lower on emotional arousal ( d=.64), intrusive thoughts (d=.51), involuntary engagement (d=.83) and rumination ( d=.70), suggesting that while mood was unaffected, general stress and coping responses were improved."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

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