Large-scale RCTs show school mindfulness training does not benefit overall well-being or social-emotional functioning and can harm those most at risk¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? The article reports that large-scale randomized controlled trials found mindfulness trainings did not benefit overall well-being or social-emotional functioning and can harm those most at risk for mental health issues. → Zengilowski 2023

Evidence¶

Zengilowski 2023¶

Zengilowski, A., Maqbool, I., Deka, S. P., Niebaum, J. C., Placido, D., Katz, B., Shah, P. & Munakata, Y. (2023). Overemphasizing individual differences and overlooking systemic factors reinforces educational inequality. npj Science of Learning 8:13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-023-00164-z

q3 · i? · theoretical · r3

The comment reports the findings of large-scale randomized controlled trials of school-based mindfulness training (citing the MYRIAD trial and related work). Per the article, the trials "do not bene fit overall well-being and social-emotional functioning" and "can harm those most at risk for mental health issues"; no effect sizes are printed here.

"Large-scale randomized controlled trials have shown that mindfulness trainings do not bene fit overall well-being and social-emotional functioning4 and can harm those most at risk for mental health issues 64."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Social Awareness and Relationship Skills — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• School meditation programmes foster small improvements in well-being, more consistently reducing negative outcomes than promoting positive ones — reports the opposite
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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) — related
• An SEL program with mindfulness training (MindUP) improved diurnal cortisol slopes and social-emotional, self-concept, and math outcomes versus an active control — reports the opposite