Non-Positive Experiences Encountered by Pupils During Participation in a Mindfulness-Informed School-Based Intervention.
E J Miller, Catherine Crane, Emma Medlicott, James Robson, L Taylor
School Mental Health July 2, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s12310-023-09591-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Pupils across all schools participating in the study |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Harm School-based interventions Adverse outcomes Non-positive experiences |
| Key findings | Pupils across all schools in the study reported non-positive experiences of a popular mindfulness-informed curriculum, including troubling thoughts and emotions and finding the programme ineffective. The authors argue that such experiences are under-recognised and under-reported, and recommend clearer programme structure, definitions and aims, attention to fidelity issues, and better communication about the potential for non-positive experiences. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-informed school-based mental health curricula show much promise in cultivating a positive school climate which supports the well-being and mental health of pupils and staff. However, non-positive pupil outcomes and experiences of school-based mental health interventions are often under-recognised and under-reported. This study sought to capture non-positive pupil experiences of a popular mindfulness-informed curriculum. Some pupils across all schools in the study described non-positive experiences, including having troubling thoughts and emotions, and not finding the programme effective. Contexts surrounding these experiences are explored and linked to existing literature, and subsequent recommendations for improvements are made, including the importance of having clear programme structure, definitions and aims, acknowledging and accommodating fidelity issues as best as possible, and better highlighting the potential for non-positive experiences and how they may be reduced.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- The Array of Outcomes Associated with Mindfulness Interventions in Schools: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Mindfulness July 6, 2025
- From Practice to Policy: Promise and Constraints of Contemplative Ethics Interventions in Science. Mindfulness May 19, 2026
- Perspective Chapter: Beyond Attention – From Mindfulness to Felt-Fibre Practice in the Happy Friends, Positive Minds Intervention Programme for Excessively Co-Ruminating Adolescent Girls Mindfulness Across Disciplines [Working Title] August 20, 2026
- Dōgen and the Boundaries of Secular Mindfulness Mindfulness May 2, 2026
- Letter to the Editor: Mindfulness will only be in decline if we stop being mindful. Child and Adolescent Mental Health February 27, 2025
Cites 9
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
- Research Review: The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents – a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry October 22, 2018
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Examining the Occurrence and Clinical Impact of Difficult Experiences that Emerge during a Mindfulness-Based Intervention among Individuals at High-Risk of Suicide. Mindfulness June 18, 2024
- Universal Mindfulness Training in Schools for Adolescents: a Scoping Review and Conceptual Model of Moderators, Mediators, and Implementation Factors Prevention Science August 1, 2022
and 4 more in the library