The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children on anxiety, attentional control, and emotion regulation in children: a study protocol.
Habibeh Kholghi, Mojtaba Habibi Asgarabad, Khadijeh Abolmaali Alhosseini, Fahimeh Dehghani, Randye J Semple
Frontiers in pediatrics 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2025.1459434 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Children aged 8 to 12 years |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children (MBCT-C) Life skills training (LST) |
| Duration | 12-session intervention, 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Adolescents Attentional control Children Cognitive therapy Emotion regulation |
| Key findings | The protocol outlines a clinical trial to evaluate MBCT-C's efficacy on anxiety, attentional control, and emotional regulation in children. |
Abstract
Childhood stressors and adverse experiences can increase the likelihood of children developing mental disorders. The development of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children (MBCT-C) offers opportunities to improve emotional resiliency and reduce these children's vulnerabilities. The current study introduces the framework of a future clinical trial that seeks to examine the level of satisfaction and the efficacy of MBCT-C on anxiety, attentional control, and emotional regulation in children. This research protocol outlines a quasi-experimental design that compares MBCT-C with an active control group. The intervention group will participate in a 12-session MBCT-C program, while the active control group will receive a 12-session program of life skills training (LST). Eighty children aged between 8 and 12 years will be randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group. Data using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale for Children (MAAS-C), the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-CH), and the Attentional Control Scale for Children (ACS-C) will be collected at three times: baseline, post-intervention, and six months following the intervention. The Mindfulness Program Satisfaction Questionnaire (MPSQ) will assess participant satisfaction with the program. The effectiveness of MBCT-C will be evaluated using a conditional mixed regression model in STATA-18. Providing a research protocol to conduct a clinical trial on MBCT-C before the intervention phase provides a precise evaluation of the goals and hypotheses, study method, assessment tools, and treatment outcomes.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... | 2013 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group | n = 37 |
| Being present in the face of existential threat: The role of trait mindfulness in reducing defensive responses to mortality salience. | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience | 2013 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 15 |
| Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience Community adults | 2009 | Quasi-experimental and longitudinal | n = 69 |
| Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment Volunteers | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 11 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children (MBCT-C) on internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems in children from single-parent families: A study protocol for a crossover randomized clinical trial. PLoS One August 6, 2026
- The influence of mindfulness therapy on NSSI and serum proBDNF in adolescents with depressive episode of depressive episode of bipolar disorder. Psychiatry Research June 1, 2026
- School-based mindfulness education and children's emotion regulation: the mediating role of executive function. Frontiers in Psychology March 4, 2026
Cites 11
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- Mindfulness supports emotional resilience in children during the COVID-19 pandemic PLoS One July 12, 2023
- Effectiveness and satisfaction of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children on anxiety, depression, and internet addiction in adolescents: Study protocol for a randomized control trial. PLoS One 2025
and 6 more in the library