Mindfulness in Schools: Evidence on the Impacts of School-Based Mindfulness Programs on Student Outcomes in P–12 Educational Settings

Abstract

This Research Brief was developed for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The number of school-based mindfulness programs (SBMPs) for students has been increasing over the last fifteen years. They’ve been developed for students from pre- kindergarten through high school (P–12 settings). While the reach of SBMPs is substantial, their introduction has outpaced research on their effectiveness across diverse sociocultural contexts and school environments, and with students of different ages and backgrounds. A look at studies conducted between 2000 and 2019 showed that SBMPs improve students’ mindfulness and self-regulation skills. Further, there is promising evidence that these programs reduce students’ feelings of anxiety and depression, support their physical health, and assist them in engaging in healthy relationships with others. However, there is little consistent evidence at this time that SBMPs reduce students’ anger and aggression or improve their well-being, and further study is needed to adequately assess program impacts on students’ school behavior and performance. In the coming years, more scientific research on SBMPs is needed to determine: which kinds of practices and program elements work best, what outcomes they influence, and which students are impacted the most. Recommendations for practitioners considering the use of SBMPs are offered.

Universal mindfulness training in schools for adolescents: A scoping review and conceptual model of moderators, mediators and implementation factors

“…The documents were categorised according to their evaluation of moderators, mediators, or implementation. Outcomes were classified by five categories: (1) mindfulness and selfregulation skills; (2) mental health; (3) physical health; (4) healthy relationships with others and the physical world; and (5) school behaviour and academic performance to mirror Roeser et al (2020). A narrative synthesis was conducted.…”

“…Note that there are generally more findings reported than number of papers given that papers tended to address multiple outcomes. Outcomes were categorized by five large outcome categories: mindfulness and self-regulation skills, mental health, physical health, healthy relationships with others and the physical world, and school behaviour and (academic) performance (Roeser et al, 2020). For our included papers, the outcomes categorized as mindfulness and self-regulation skills include emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, emotional awareness, clarity, impulse control, mind wandering, and affective self-regulatory efficacy.…”

“…age, gender, ethnicity) may also moderate the effect of SBMT on outcomes. On the other hand, based on theory (Roeser et al, 2020) and the scoping review findings, potential mediators include executive function and mindfulness skills Well-being is used here to represent outcomes assessed following implementation of SBMT (e.g. distal mindfulness skills and executive function, mental health, physical health, healthy relationships, or pupil behaviour and performance).…”

“…Given the benefits of training for adults, universal adaptations of mindfulness programmes have been developed for school settings. Interest in universal SBMT has increased over the past decade and there is promising evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that they reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in adolescents (Baelen et al, 2019;Dunning et al, 2019;Roeser et al, 2020). However, there is little evidence that SBMT reduces negative behaviours (e.g., aggression) when compared with active controls, nor that it works through its hypothesized mechanisms (Dunning et al, 2019;Roeser et al, 2020).…”

The science of flourishing in child and adolescent development: description, explanation and implications for prevention and promotion

“…Simon says), martial arts, Montessori approach, yoga and mindfulness are more e ective in improving self-regulation in children than computer-based training (Diamond and Lee, 2011). A recent review of the eld of mindfulness in education also suggests that school-based mindfulness programs for children can support development of their self-regulation (Roeser, Galla and Baelen, 2020).…”