Adolescents do not benefit from universal school-based mindfulness interventions: a reanalysis of Dunning et al. (2022).
Brian M. Galla, Aishwarya Karanam, Avital Pelakh, Simon B. Goldberg
Frontiers in Psychology 2024 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384531 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Reanalysis of meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16,558 |
| Population | Adolescents from randomized controlled trials of universal school-based mindfulness interventions |
| Intervention | school-based mindfulness interventions |
| Duration | Immediate post-test and longest follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Adolescent Meta-analysis Prevention Universal intervention |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Universal school-based mindfulness interventions did not significantly improve any outcome when compared to all controls combined, and no effects were observed at follow-up. |
Abstract
Are universal school-based mindfulness interventions an effective way to reduce risk for mental disorders and improve adolescents' lives? To answer this question, we reanalyzed data from Dunning et al.'s (2022) meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of mindfulness interventions delivered to children and adolescents. Though Dunning et al. (2022) reported some benefits of universal mindfulness interventions, their analysis did not examine adolescents separately from children. Consequently, their conclusions may not entirely reflect the effectiveness of universal mindfulness interventions specifically for adolescents, a developmental period when mental disorders are known to increase. Using their open-access data tables, we tested impacts of 22 randomized controlled trials (N = 16,558) on eight outcome categories-anxiety/stress, attention, depression, executive functioning, mindfulness, negative behavior, social behavior, and wellbeing-at immediate post-test and longest follow-up. Our reanalysis shows that when compared to passive controls, mindfulness interventions significantly reduced trait mindfulness (d = -0.10). When compared to active controls, mindfulness interventions significantly improved anxiety/stress (d = 0.17) and wellbeing (d = 0.10). When compared to all controls combined, mindfulness interventions did not significantly improve any outcome (ds = 0.01 to 0.26). No effects of mindfulness interventions were observed at follow-up assessment. Overall, results of our analysis cast doubt about the value of existing school-based mindfulness interventions as a universal prevention strategy for adolescents.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- The Array of Outcomes Associated with Mindfulness Interventions in Schools: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Mindfulness July 6, 2025
- From Retreat to Reality: A Qualitative Study of How Adolescents Apply Mindfulness One Month After a Weeklong Retreat Mindfulness June 26, 2026
- Mediators of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Children and Young People: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Mindfulness May 16, 2026
- An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses of School-Based Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) Mindfulness March 18, 2026
- A School-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Adolescent Mental Health: The Moderating Effect of Personality Traits Mindfulness 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 6
- Contemplative Practices and Mental Training: Prospects for American Education Child Development Perspectives April 23, 2012
- Beyond All Splits: Envisioning the Next Generation of Science on Mindfulness and Compassion in Schools for Students. Mindfulness November 11, 2022
- The effect of universal school-based mindfulness on anhedonia and emotional distress and its underlying mechanisms: A cluster randomised controlled trial via experience sampling in secondary schools Behaviour Research and Therapy September 19, 2023
- Effect of Yoga and Mindfulness Intervention on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Young Adolescents Attending Middle School: A Pragmatic Community-Based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in a Racially Diverse Urban Setting International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health September 24, 2022
- Do mindfulness-based programmes improve the cognitive skills, behaviour and mental health of children and adolescents? An updated meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Evidence-Based Mental Health July 12, 2022
and 1 more in the library