Reducing childhood anxiety and stress through buddhist meditation techniques

An 8-week Buddhist meditation program combining Anāpānasati, Metta Bhāvanā, and Vipassanā reduced anxiety and stress in children aged 8–12 in Sri Lanka. Anxiety scores on the RCMAS dropped from 21.4 to 14.2 for boys, and stress scores on the PSS-C fell from an average of 18.7 to 11.9. No significant gender differences were found. The practices improved attention, emotional regulation, and stress resilience. The authors suggest these low-cost, culturally sensitive techniques could be integrated into schools and clinics, though they note the need for follow-up and control groups to confirm long-term effects.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Background: Childhood anxiety and stress are increasingly prevalent issues worldwide, having effects on cognitive growth and emotional health. Although standard interventions are available, greater interest is being sparked in culturally sensitive, non-invasive approaches. This research investigated the application of Buddhist meditation practices to alleviate stress and anxiety in children between the ages of 8 - 12 years. Method: A mixed-method study was carried out with 30 purposely selected children from Central Province, Sri Lanka (16 girls and 14 boys), with ages ranging from 8-12 years old. Participants completed an 8-week meditation program consisting of Anāpānasati, Metta Bhāvanā and Vipassanā. Pre-test and post-test psychological assessment using RCMAS and PSS-C were administered, along with interviews conducted by child psychologists and individuals with meditation, mindfulness and well-being experience. Validity was established through reviewing tools by expert review and standardized measures. Results: Following the intervention, substantial mean reductions were observed for anxiety according to RCMAS (Boys:21.4 [Pre-test]; 14.2 [Post-test]; Girls: ????) and for stress as of PSS-C (M pre = 18.7, M post 11.9). Ānāpānasati proved beneficial for regulating acute stress response, Metta Bhāvanā improved emotional regulation and compassion, and Vipassanā promoted insight into emotional conditioning. General improvements were also seen in attention, emotional regulation, and stress-resilience. Lastly, no statistically significant differences were found for anxiety or stress scores by gender difference, within pre- and post-intervention, respectively. Conclusions: Buddhist meditation is an inexpensive, effective approach to childhood mental health promotion. The practices can be integrated into school and mental health clinics with appropriate modification. Although the study yielded promising results, follow-up and control conditions on the long-term effect are to be included in subsequent studies to determine durable effect and generalizability.