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)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2014 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 Between-group effect sizes by domain were cognitive performance g = 0.80, stress g = 0.39, and resilience g = 0.36 (all p < 0.05), while emotional problems (g = 0.19) and third person ratings (g = 0.25) were not significant. → Charlotte Zenner 2014

Evidence¶

Charlotte Zenner 2014¶

Charlotte Zenner, Solveig Herrnleben-Kurz and Harald Walach. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in schools—a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00603

q3 · i3 · quant-synthesis · r3

Domain-specific synthesis in the review's quantitative analysis across five outcome domains (cognitive performance, stress, resilience, emotional problems, third person ratings). The review reports "cognitive performance g = 0.80, stress g = 0.39, resilience g = 0.36, (all p < 0.05)" with emotional problems and third person ratings not significant.

"Between group effect sizes for domains were: cognitive performance g = 0.80, stress g = 0.39, resilience g = 0.36, (all p < 0.05), emotional problems g = 0.19 third person ratings g = 0.25 (both n.s.)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Affect Regulation — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• 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
• Across all RCTs, mindfulness-based interventions significantly improve mindfulness, executive functioning, attention, depression, anxiety/stress and negative behaviours in youth, with small effect sizes — reports the opposite
• A practice brief reviewing self-regulation interventions reports substantial benefits of mindfulness programs for cognitive and emotional regulation, stress and mental health in adolescents and young adults — a broader claim this one bears on
• Interventions with high schoolers and young adults show strong consistent improvement in cognitive regulation and small but significant improvements in health, mental health, and delinquency — related
• Mindfulness and yoga interventions improved self-regulation in 4 of 8 interventions (50%), mostly applied within the adolescent age group. — related
• School meditation programmes foster small improvements in well-being, more consistently reducing negative outcomes than promoting positive ones — related
• 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) — reports the opposite
• School mindfulness programs show high acceptability among students and teachers, but home practice adherence is low — related
• Some social-emotional and cognitive-behavioural initiatives showed no effect or a negative effect on educator wellbeing — related