School-based mindfulness interventions produce small-to-moderate significant pre-post improvements in youth mental health and well-being compared to control groups¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r? · q3 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2018 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i1 Across 24 studies (n = 3977), school-based mindfulness interventions showed significant small-to-moderate pre-post effects on mental health and well-being versus controls (Hedges' g = 0.24, p < .001). → Carsley 2018

Evidence¶

Carsley 2018¶

Carsley, D., Khoury, B., & Heath, N. L. (2018). Effectiveness of Mindfulness Interventions for Mental Health in Schools: a Comprehensive Meta-analysis. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0839-2

q3 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r?

Systematic meta-analysis of studies from PsycINFO, ERIC, Social Work Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, and CINAHL; 24 studies with n = 3977 youth. The pooled pre-post versus control effect was "small to moderate significant effects" with Hedges' g = 0.24, p < .001.

"A total of 24 studies ( n = 3977) were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, mindfulness interventions were found to be helpful, with small to moderate significant effects pre-post intervention compared to control groups (Hedges’ g = 0.24, p < .001)"

Discussion¶

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
• Mindfulness interventions consisting of combinations of various mindfulness activities show the largest effects on youth mental health and well-being — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Mindfulness interventions delivered during late adolescence (15–18) show the largest effects on youth mental health and well-being outcomes — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• School-based mindfulness interventions show overall effect sizes of g = 0.40 between groups and g = 0.41 within groups — 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 — related
• Effects of school-based mindfulness interventions differ according to whether delivery is by an outside facilitator or by trained educators/teachers — related
• Effect sizes vary by control group type, with wait-list controls yielding the largest mean effect and no-contact controls the smallest — related
• 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
• School meditation programmes foster small improvements in well-being, more consistently reducing negative outcomes than promoting positive ones — related
• Youth focus groups surfaced four key digital well-being challenge themes: addiction and compulsive use, impact on thinking, effects on social skills, and effects on mental health — related