The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Cognition and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

• DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/rj5mk
• Publication Date: 2018-07-02T11:44:37Z
• Authors: Darren Lee Dunning; Kirsty Griffiths; Willem Kuyken; Catherine Crane; Lucy Foulkes; Jenna Parker; Tim Dalgleish
• Keywords: FOS: Psychology; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Developmental Psychology; Life Sciences; Psychology; Social and Behavioral Sciences; 3. Good health

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