Promoting well-being in early adolescents through mindfulness: A cluster randomized controlled trial.
Francesca Scafuto, Silvia Ghiroldi, Nitamo Federico Montecucco, Francesco De Vincenzo, Rossella Mattea Quinto, Fabio Presaghi, Luca Iani
Journal of adolescence January 2024 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12252 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cluster randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 195 |
| Population | Early adolescent students (99 boys, 96 girls) with a mean age of 11.49 years (SD = 0.80) attending 12 middle school classes |
| Intervention | emotional |
| Duration | 12-week intervention; measures at 1 week before treatment, 1 week after treatment, and 3 months after treatment |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Hierarchical linear modelling Psychological distress Psychological well-being School-based intervention Subjective happiness |
| Key findings | The Gaia program improved psychological well-being but not subjective well-being or psychological distress. It increased personal growth and purpose in life, the key eudaimonic components of psychological well-being, in the experimental group, whereas these decreased in the control group. The authors present this as preliminary evidence. |
Abstract
The Gaia program is a 12-week mindfulness intervention based on cultivating body, emotional, and ecological self-awareness, which has been shown to be effective in reducing children's and adolescents' internalizing problems at school. This paper presents the results of a cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at assessing the effectiveness of this program on improving psychological well-being, subjective well-being, and psychological distress in early adolescents. A sample of 195 early adolescent students (boys, n = 99; girls, n = 96) with a mean age of 11.49 years (standard deviation = 0.80) attending 12 middle school classes participated in the study. Seven Gaia instructors belonging to six schools led the program. Measures were administered at three time points, approximately every 3 months: 1 week before treatment, 1 week after treatment, and 3 months after treatment. We used a multilevel regression model to test whether treatment was effective in increasing psychological well-being and subjective well-being, and reducing psychological distress, as compared to a waiting-list control group. The results showed that the Gaia program improved psychological well-being but not subjective well-being and psychological distress. Specifically, the Gaia program was effective in increasing personal growth and purpose in life, the key eudaimonic components of psychological well-being, in the experimental group whereas they decreased in the control group. Findings from this study provide preliminary evidence that the Gaia program for early adolescents may improve the core eudaimonic components of psychological well-being from pretest to follow-up that, conversely, decrease in the control group.
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
Cited by 5
- Interoceptive Ability and Emotion Regulation in Mind-Body Interventions: An Integrative Review. Behavioral Sciences November 18, 2024
- Effects of a Body-Based Mindfulness Program on Alexithymia, Dispositional Mindfulness, and Distress Symptoms: A Pilot Clinical Trial. Behavioral Sciences January 8, 2025
- Impact of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Symptoms and Emotion Regulation Strategies in Young Adolescents From the General Population: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Depression and Anxiety 2025
- The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on non-suicidal self-injury in hospitalized adolescents with depressive disorders: a randomized controlled trial Psychological Medicine 2026
- Do Contemplative Practices Promote Trauma Recovery? A Narrative Review from 2018 to 2023. Healthcare November 7, 2025
Cites 7
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- 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
- A Systematic Review of Mindfulness-Based School Interventions with Early Adolescents Mindfulness July 18, 2018
- Testing the mindfulness-to-meaning theory: Evidence for mindful positive emotion regulation from a reanalysis of longitudinal data. PLoS One December 6, 2017
- Do mindfulness-based programmes improve the cognitive skills, behaviour and mental health of children and adolescents? An updated meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Evidence-Based Mental Health July 12, 2022
and 2 more in the library