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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Jul 10;14(1):15894.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66915-z.

Impact of a mindfulness-based intervention on well-being and mental health of elementary school children: results from a randomized cluster trial

Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Impact of a mindfulness-based intervention on well-being and mental health of elementary school children: results from a randomized cluster trial

Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Prevention programs, such as mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), are often implemented in schools to prevent psychological disorders from emerging in children and to support their mental health. This study used a randomized cluster design to evaluate the impact of a MBI, called Mission Méditation, on the well-being and the mental health of elementary school children's. 13 classrooms of an elementary school were randomly allocated to the experimental condition (7 classrooms, n = 127 students) or the waitlist control condition (6 classrooms, n = 104 students). Participants in the experimental condition received a 10-week MBI. Regression analyses revealed significant differences between conditions for inattention. Participants in the MBI condition reported no change in pre- to post-intervention, whereas participants in the control condition reported pre- to post-intervention increases. Results also showed significant differences in perceived competence. Participants in the MBI condition reported a non-significant decrease in perceive competence, whereas participants in the control condition reported significantly higher perceive competence scores from pre- to post-intervention. Results do not indicate that the MBI had a significant impact on participant's well-being and mental health. This suggests that MBIs may not have an added value when compared to other preventive interventions geared towards well-being and mental health promotion in school settings.

Keywords: Basic psychological needs; Elementary school children; Mental health; Mindfulness-based intervention; Program evaluation; Well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

CM-H has released a manual on the mindfulness-based intervention described and used in this study (Midi Trente Publishers). The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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