School-Based meditation in adolescents: an integrative literature review

Abstract

Objectives Utility of cognitive-behavioral practice interventions in school settings have been discussed by the scientific community regarding their possibility of insertion in the educational field. In this way, this review article analyzes the scientific production on the practice of meditation offered at school in adolescents, since the appropriation of studies that point to reflections and perspectives of meditative practice can favor the development of new pedagogical trajectories in the school environment. Content The electronic databases VHL, PubMed, and CAPES were consulted, using the combination of the terms related to meditation, adolescents, and school. This analysis resulted in eight articles, including field research and reviews, published between 2010 and 2021. Summary The articles showed improvement in emotional coping skills, social relationships, self-regulation, control of mood levels, stress, depression, and anger, and significant gains in self-reflection and academic attention. They pointed out that elementary and high school students present more significant responses, and these factors, such as duration, frequency, and systematization of the session, can interfere with these responses. Outlook These results indicate that meditation practice in adolescents can be a valuable strategy for health promotion and educational training in the school environment.