Impact of a Mindfulness-based Intervention on Well-being and Mental Health of Elementary School Children: Results From a Randomized Cluster Trial
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Mindfulness-based Intervention
- Sponsor
- Bishop's University
- Enrollment
- 231
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 2 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Background: Prevention programs for children such as mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are often implemented in schools to prevent psychological disorders from emerging and contribute to children' mental health.
Aim: This study used a randomized cluster design and assessed the impact of a MBI on well-being and mental health of elementary school children's.
Method: 13 elementary school classrooms 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.
Investigators
Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise
Associate Professor
Bishop's University
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Attending the Préville Elementary School
- •Spoke sufficient French to fill out questionnaires
Exclusion Criteria
- •Not attending the Préville Elementary School
- •Level of French was not good enough to fill out questionnaires
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders
Time Frame: Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks)
Children completed selected items from the self-report version of the anxiety (three items, e.g., "I worry about little things"), depression (five items, e.g., "Nothing ever goes right for me") and inattention (4 items, e.g., " I forget to do things") subscales of the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC II)
Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction
Time Frame: Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks)
Participants rated how competent, autonomous, and related they felt in school, by answering a nine-item scale adapted from a scale used in a previous, similar study \[57\]. Children were asked to rate their agreement with items such as "In school, I feel free to be myself" (autonomy); "I am able to reach my goals" (competence) and "In my relationship with others, I feel appreciated" (relatedness) on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always).
Process Measure
Time Frame: Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks)
Finally, participants completed the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale for Children (e.g., "I find it hard to stay focused on what's happening in the present moment."; \[58\]) to evaluate pre-to-post changes in their mindfulness abilities. They rated their agreement with each item on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 6 (almost always). A higher score on this scale indicates lower levels of mindfulness.