Research Review: The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents – a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Background Mindfulness based interventions ( MBI s) are an increasingly popular way of attempting to improve the behavioural, cognitive and mental health outcomes of children and adolescents, though there is a suggestion that enthusiasm has moved ahead of the evidence base. Most evaluations of MBI s are either uncontrolled or nonrandomized trials. This meta‐analysis aims to establish the efficacy of MBI s for children and adolescents in studies that have adopted a randomized, controlled trial ( RCT ) design. Methods A systematic literature search of RCT s of MBI s was conducted up to October 2017. Thirty‐three independent studies including 3,666 children and adolescents were included in random effects meta‐analyses with outcome measures categorized into cognitive, behavioural and emotional factors. Separate random effects meta‐analyses were completed for the seventeen studies ( n = 1,762) that used an RCT design with an active control condition. Results Across all RCT s we found significant positive effects of MBI s, relative to controls, for the outcome categories of Mindfulness, Executive Functioning, Attention, Depression, Anxiety/Stress and Negative Behaviours, with small effect sizes (Cohen's d ), ranging from .16 to .30. However, when considering only those RCT s with active control groups, significant benefits of an MBI were restricted to the outcomes of Mindfulness ( d = .42), Depression ( d = .47) and Anxiety/Stress ( d = .18) only. Conclusions This meta‐analysis reinforces the efficacy of using MBI s for improving the mental health and wellbeing of youth as assessed using the gold standard RCT methodology. Future RCT evaluations should incorporate scaled‐up definitive trial designs to further evaluate the robustness of MBI s in youth, with an embedded focus on mechanisms of action.

Cognitive remediation group therapy versus mutual aid group therapy: A pilot randomized, controlled trial to determine the feasibility and acceptability of group therapy for people aging with HIV facing cognitive challenges

“…The principal findings of this pilot are that group therapy may be feasible and acceptable to people aging with HIV and cognitive challenges and, further, that a complex intervention combining mindfulness and brain training activities may be preferential to the standard mutual aid type of group support. Compared with other studies, a strength of this pilot was its use of an active comparator as mindfulness trials are often limited by an inactive control 45 . Another strength was the study's involvement of people aging with HIV and community-based organizations as this community connection may enhance the pilot's potential for a full-scale trial following refinement 32 .…”

Mindfulness-based interventions for children and adolescents: A scoping review protocol

“…In medicine and psychology, MBIs have been associated with better maintenance of therapeutic gains relating to depression, anxiety, and pain (2). By extension, MBIs can arguably improve physical health conditions, cognitive, psychosocial and affective outcomes (2,(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). Because of the applicability of mindfulness to many areas of functioning, there is increasing interest in its application.…”

“…In fact, the evidence base is growing with respect to demonstrating improved mental and physical health in adults (2,7,(12)(13). Similarly, emerging mindfulness research shows a preliminary parallel in pediatric mental health and cognitive outcomes as well as an upsurge of adapted MBIs for children (4)(5)(6)(7)14). Adapted MBIs are those that have been modified from adult interventions to ensure developmental appropriateness for children and adolescent populations.…”

Inclusive arts: Meanings and practices

“…Glicksohn & Goldstein, 2013); psychology (Hart, Ivtzan & Hart, 2013); clinical psychology (Bishop et al, 2004;Baer et al, 2019); neuropsychology (Chiesa, Calati & Serretti, 2011); psychiatry (Dunning et al, 2018;Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2012); neuroscience (Farb et al, 2007); neuroscience in arts education (Jensen, 2001;Ding, Tang, Deng, Tang, & Posner, 2014). These studies reference a sample of work from science disciplines informing our research project here.…”

“…Master teachers in schools are given support, nurturing and personalised study guidance on the meditative path, by authentic supervising mindfulness teachers. Additionally, Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluations as in Dunning et al (2018) which represent the current gold standard assessment approach for emerging artsbased mindfulness interventions, will shed light on efficacy of teacher training and teacher and student outcomes.…”