Mindfulness Meditation May Lessen Anxiety, Promote Social Skills, and Improve Academic Performance Among Adolescents With Learning Disabilities
James Beauchemin, Tiffany L. Hutchins, Fiona Patterson
Complementary health practice review 2008 DOI: 10.1177/1533210107311624 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study, pre-post no-control design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 34 |
| Population | Adolescents diagnosed with learning disabilities |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 5-week intervention |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key points | After a 5-week mindfulness meditation program, adolescents with learning disabilities showed significant decreases in state and trait anxiety, enhanced social skills, and improved academic performance, with positive attitudes toward the program. |
Abstract
Students with learning disabilities (LD; defined by compromised academic performance) often have higher levels of anxiety, school-related stress, and less optimal social skills compared with their typically developing peers. Previous health research indicates that meditation and relaxation training may be effective in reducing anxiety and promoting social skills. This pilot study used a pre—post no-control design to examine feasibility of, attitudes toward, and outcomes of a 5-week mindfulness meditation intervention administered to 34 adolescents diagnosed with LD. Postintervention survey responses overwhelmingly expressed positive attitudes toward the program. All outcome measures showed significant improvement, with participants who completed the program demonstrating decreased state and trait anxiety, enhanced social skills, and improved academic performance. Although not directly assessed, the outcomes are consistent with a cognitive-interference model of learning disability and suggest that mindfulness meditation decreases anxiety and detrimental self-focus of attention, which, in turn, promotes social skills and academic outcomes.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 62
- Sitting-meditation interventions among youth: a review of treatment efficacy. Pediatrics August 24, 2009
- A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children. Journal of school psychology June 1, 2014
- Women Benefit More Than Men in Response to College-based Meditation Training. Frontiers in Psychology 2017
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Cites 9
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