Exploring the Effects of Meditation Techniques Used by Mindfulness-Based Programs on the Cognitive, Social-Emotional, and Academic Skills of Children: A Systematic Review.
Marisa G Filipe, Sofia Magalhães, Andreia S Veloso, Ana Filipa Costa, Lúcia Ribeiro, Patrícia Araújo, São Luís Castro, Teresa Limpo
Frontiers in Psychology November 12, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.660650 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Children aged 6 to 12 years |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based programs body-centered meditations mindful observations affect-centered meditations |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Children Systematic review Mindfulness techniques |
| Key findings | Across 29 included studies, evidence was reasonably strong that mindfulness techniques improve children's cognitive and socio-emotional skills, with "body-centered meditations" and "mindful observations" used in all such interventions and "affect-centered meditations" also frequent for socio-emotional outcomes. Only one quasi-experimental trial found academic-skill improvements, so the authors conclude that conclusions about academic effects cannot yet be drawn and that further research on distinct techniques is needed. |
Abstract
There is evidence for the positive impact of mindfulness in children. However, little is known about the techniques through which mindfulness practice results in differential outcomes. Therefore, this study intended to systematically review the available evidence about the efficacy of meditation techniques used by mindfulness-based programs on cognitive, socio-emotional, and academic skills of children from 6 to 12 years of age. The review was registered on the PROSPERO database, and the literature search was conducted according to PICO criteria and PRISMA guidelines. The EBSCO databases were searched, and 29 studies were eligible: nine randomized controlled trials and 20 quasi-experimental studies. All the included randomized controlled trials were rated as having a high risk of bias. Overall, the evidence for mindfulness techniques improving cognitive and socio-emotional skills was reasonably strong. Specifically, for cognitive skills, results showed that all the interventions used "body-centered meditations" and "mindful observations." Regarding socio-emotional skills, although all the studies applied "body-centered meditations" and "mindful observations," "affect-centered meditations" were also frequent. For academic skills, just one quasi-experimental trial found improvements, thus making it difficult to draw conclusions. Further research is crucial to evaluate the unique effects of different meditation techniques on the cognitive, social-emotional, and academic skills of children. Systematic Review Registration: Identifier: RD42019126767.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Beyond All Splits: Envisioning the Next Generation of Science on Mindfulness and Compassion in Schools for Students. Mindfulness November 11, 2022
- Mindfulness techniques for athletic excellence: the mediating role of mental resilience and moderating effect of emotional intelligence. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- A systematic review on the effectiveness of unstandardized mindfulness interventions in improving dietary and physical activity outcomes in healthy adults. BMC Public Health May 8, 2025
- Educating through (Re)connection: Contributions of contemplative sciences and meditative practices for a new mindset in education Seven Editora eBooks August 12, 2023
- Cognitive Skills and DNA Methylation Are Correlating in Healthy and Novice College Students Practicing Preksha Dhyāna Meditation. Brain Sciences August 17, 2023
and 3 more in the library
Cites 46
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
and 41 more in the library