Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children
Matthew S Goodman, Randye J Semple
Using Mindfulness to Promote Mental Health in Schools December 2, 2025 DOI: 10.1093/9780190880507.003.0007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C) Mindfulness Matters Program |
| Duration | 12-week program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBCT-C is an effective program for treating anxiety and emotional or behavioral difficulties in students when implemented in schools. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter describes Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C). The chapter introduces MBCT-C to school-based mental health providers treating students with anxiety and other emotional or behavioral difficulties. This chapter begins with an overview of the foundations and core aims of MBCT-C, and then briefly reviews research support for its effectiveness. The chapter also includes a discussion of the implementation of MBCT-C in schools and offers a brief review of the 12-week program. One full session is described to illustrate the content of the program, along with a clinical vignette in which MBCT-C is implemented with a single anxious student. Additionally, the chapter includes a brief description of the Mindfulness Matters Program, which is a variation of MBCT-C that is intended for use in K–12 classrooms. The chapter concludes with a discussion of ways to support mindfulness practices among parents, teachers, and the broader school culture.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Network-level functional topological changes after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in mood dysregulated adolescents at familial risk for bipolar disorder: a pilot study BMC Psychiatry May 2, 2021
- Effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for child on bullying behaviors among children International Archives of Health Sciences April 1, 2019
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for youth with anxiety disorders at risk for bipolar disorder: a pilot trial. Early Intervention in Psychiatry October 2016
- Neural Function Before and After Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Anxious Adolescents at Risk for Developing Bipolar Disorder. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology January 19, 2016
- Treating Anxiety With Mindfulness: An Open Trial of Mindfulness Training for Anxious Children Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy October 1, 2005