The Impact of a 12-Week School-Based Mindfulness Programme on Emotional Intelligence: A Cross-National Study of Primary and Secondary Students in Spain and Italy.
Journal of Intelligence July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence14070123 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental repeated-measures study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 207 |
| Population | Primary and secondary school students in Spain and Italy (52.7% Spain, 47.3% Italy; mean ages about 8.1-8.7 years in primary and 13.3-13.7 years in secondary) |
| Intervention | School-based mindfulness programme |
| Duration | 12-week programme with assessments at pre-test, post-test, and 5-month follow-up |
| Measures | EQ-i:YV |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The 12-week mindfulness programme produced no significant increase in global emotional intelligence. Small domain-specific effects emerged: Italian primary students improved in General Mood and Interpersonal Competence, and Italian secondary students showed delayed gains in Stress Management, while no significant effects appeared in Spanish subsamples or in Adaptability and Intrapersonal Competence. |
Abstract
In recent decades, the educational landscape has undergone rapid transformations, highlighting emotional intelligence (EI) and mindfulness as key constructs for students’ well-being and adaptation. This study examines the impact of a structured 12-week school-based mindfulness programme on emotional intelligence in a cross-national sample of students. The sample comprised 207 participants (52.7% from Spain and 47.3% from Italy). In Spain, the mean age was 8.65 years (SD = 0.36) in primary education and 13.71 years (SD = 0.49) in secondary education; in Italy, the mean age was 8.09 years (SD = 0.30) and 13.33 years (SD = 0.43), respectively. Using a quasi-experimental repeated-measures design, EI was assessed at pre-test, post-test, and 5-month follow-up with the EQ-i:YV and analysed using General Linear Models. In line with these objectives, results indicated no significant increase in global EI (p > .05), although small, domain-specific effects emerged (η2p ≈ .03–.09). Italian primary students showed improvements in General Mood and Interpersonal Competence, while Italian secondary students displayed delayed gains in Stress Management. No significant effects were observed in Spanish subsamples or in Adaptability and Intrapersonal Competence. These findings indicate modest, context-dependent effects, with limited and context-dependent educational implications.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 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
- Perceived Benefits of Mindfulness and Health Education Programs for Minoritized Adolescents: A Qualitative Analysis. Mindfulness June 8, 2023
- School Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Youth, and Considerations for Anxiety, Depression, and a Positive School Climate—A Systematic Literature Review Children May 11, 2023
and 2 more in the library