School-based mindfulness education and children's emotion regulation: the mediating role of executive function.
Xuhong Wang, Xuefei Dong
Frontiers in Psychology March 4, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1760807 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 150 |
| Population | Children aged 8-10 years |
| Intervention | Mindfulness education |
| Duration | 8-week program |
| Measures | ERC, Emotion Management Scale, Disappointing Gift Task, Hearts and Flowers, Digit Span, WCST |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Executive function Primary school children Child emotion regulation Mediation mechanism Mindfulness education |
| Key findings | The mindfulness education group showed significantly greater improvements in emotion regulation strategies and all executive function components than the waitlist control group. Inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility mediated the effect on emotion regulation, accounting for 53.8% of the total effect. The authors conclude that mindfulness education improves children's emotion regulation both directly and through executive function. |
Abstract
Background: School-based mindfulness education has been increasingly implemented to support children's socio-emotional development; however, the cognitive mechanisms underlying its effects on emotion regulation remain insufficiently clarified. This study examined whether mindfulness-based education improves children's emotion regulation and whether executive function mediates this association.
Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 150 children aged 8-10 years were assigned to either a mindfulness education group or a waitlist control group. The 8-week program assessed emotion regulation (ERC, Emotion Management Scale, Disappointing Gift Task) and executive function (Hearts and Flowers, Digit Span, WCST).
Results: The mindfulness group showed significantly greater improvements in emotion regulation strategies (F = 15.37, p < 0.001) and all executive function components. Mediation analysis revealed significant indirect effects through inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, accounting for 53.8% of the total effect.
Conclusion: Mindfulness education enhances children's emotion regulation, both directly and through improvements in executive function, supporting its implementation in school mental health programs.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children on anxiety, attentional control, and emotion regulation in children: a study protocol. Frontiers in pediatrics 2025
- Mindfulness-based training effect on attention, impulsivity, and emotional regulation among children with ADHD: The role of family engagement in randomized controlled trials. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing October 1, 2024
- Mindfulness and cognitive emotion regulation in pediatric misophonia. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science July 15, 2023
- Mindfulness-based school interventions: A systematic review of outcome evidence quality by study design Mindfulness May 23, 2022
and 2 more in the library