The Role of Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence on Adolescents' Well-Being and Secondary School Achievement.
Inês Vieira, Luísa Faria
Psychological Reports November 18, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/00332941241301638 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 597 |
| Population | Portuguese adolescents aged 15-17 years (mean age 16.9; 49.9% male), enrolled in secondary education |
| Measures | Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Schools Students Adolescent Portugal Female Academic success Psychological well-being Adolescence School achievement Trait-emotional intelligence |
| Key findings | Mindfulness was positively related to emotional intelligence, and emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between mindfulness and both well-being and school results; emotional intelligence was positively related to well-being. Yet higher mindfulness alone was not associated with better school results or greater well-being, and no gender differences were observed. |
Abstract
The present study aimed to determine how mindfulness relates to school achievement and well-being in adolescence and whether this relationship might be mediated by emotional intelligence (EI). Apart from examining the relationship between constructs, moderation interaction effects of gender were also tested. A sample of 597 Portuguese adolescents aged 15-17 years old (Mage = 16.9; SD = 1.11; 49.9% males), enrolled in secondary education, completed self-report measures of mindfulness (CAMM), emotional intelligence (TEIQue-ASF), and well-being (SWLS) in their Portuguese versions. Findings confirmed a positive and statistically significant relationship between mindfulness and EI. Regression analyses indicated that mindfulness reduced its influence on well-being and on school results when EI was added to the model, confirming the mediation hypothesis. Results indicated a positive and statistically significant relationship between EI and well-being. Adolescents with higher traits of mindfulness did not report better school results neither greater well-being. Variations across gender have not been observed. This study discloses several limitations which require a careful examination of the results. The findings are discussed considering the potential advantages of including social and emotional competencies in educational settings as a complement to the school curriculum.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- 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
- Perils and promise in defining and measuring mindfulness: Observations from experience. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Meta-analytic evidence for effects of mindfulness training on dimensions of self-reported dispositional mindfulness. Psychological Assessment 2016
- An Exploration of Formal and Informal Mindfulness Practice and Associations with Wellbeing Mindfulness May 21, 2018
and 3 more in the library