Mindfulness in schools for internal migrant children at risk of anxiety and depression: A randomized trial.
Shuang Lu, Renhui Lyu, Xiaolu Dai, Hui Hu
Social Science & Medicine June 17, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119511 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 259 |
| Population | Internal migrant students in China, ages 9-12 (47.1% female; 68.7% low-income), at risk for anxiety-depression |
| Interventions | School-based mindfulness program Psychoeducation |
| Duration | 16-week program; assessments at baseline, midpoint, postintervention, and 1-year follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Schools Child Transients and migrants China Female Migration Rct School adjustment Cross-cultural integration |
| Key findings | Mindfulness training showed no consistent advantage over active psychoeducation for most psychological and sociocultural outcomes; between-group differences were not statistically significant for most measures. Greater improvements appeared only in positive affect and learning autonomy at mid-test and mindful acceptance at 1-year follow-up, with subgroup benefits (reduced internalizing problems in students with clinical-level symptoms; selective sociocultural gains among fifth graders and girls). |
Abstract
Rapid urbanization and unequal urban-rural development have driven large-scale internal migration in low- and middle-income countries, placing internal migrant children at increased risk for psychological distress and sociocultural marginalization. Although schools are critical settings for prevention, targeted interventions that support migrant students' psychological ("feeling well") and sociocultural ("doing well") adaptation remain limited. Mindfulness training shows promise for youth mental health, yet its feasibility among socioeconomically disadvantaged migrant youth remains underexamined. This randomized controlled trial evaluated a 16-week school-based mindfulness program against an active psychoeducation control among 259 internal migrant students in China (ages 9-12; 47.1% female; 68.7% low-income) at risk for anxiety-depression. Psychological outcomes (anxiety-depression symptoms, resilience, emotional states) and sociocultural outcomes (school and sociocultural adjustment), along with parent-reported behavioral functioning, were assessed at baseline, midpoint, postintervention, and 1-year follow-up. Both programs were implemented with high fidelity. Between-group differences were not statistically significant for most outcomes. Compared with psychoeducation, mindfulness showed greater improvements only in positive affect and learning autonomy at mid-test and mindful acceptance at follow-up. Subgroup analyses indicated that effects were confined to a few outcomes in specific groups: reduced internalizing problems among students with clinical-level symptoms and selective sociocultural gains among fifth graders and girls. As schools worldwide serve growing numbers of migrant and immigrant students, equitable approaches are needed to support their adaptation amid structural disadvantage. In internal migrant students, mindfulness training showed no consistent advantage over psychoeducation and only modest, outcome- and subgroup-specific benefits, highlighting the need for context-sensitive, targeted prevention strategies.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). Psychological Assessment April 11, 2011
- 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
- Gender differences in response to a school-based mindfulness training intervention for early adolescents. Journal of school psychology June 1, 2018
- 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