Promoting psychological well-being in preschoolers through mindfulness-based socioemotional learning: A randomized-controlled trial
Ophélie Courbet, Quent Daviot, Victoire Kalamarides, Marianne Habib, Villemonteix Thomas
Research Square August 9, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3226776/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cluster randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 761 |
| Population | Pre-kindergarten children aged 38-58 months in a socio-economically disadvantaged area of France |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The mindfulness-based Kindness Curriculum was associated with improved mental health, including reductions in emotional, conduct and peer relationship problems and in teacher-child conflicts, but no significant effects on other indicators. Subgroup analyses suggested stronger mental health effects and benefits for self-management, teacher relationships and peer relationships in some subgroups. |
Abstract
Abstract Mental health issues in children and young people are frequent and can have enduring negative consequences. Preventive early interventions delivered at school may foster psychological well-being, and preliminary evidence suggests that mindfulness-based social and emotional study was to evaluate a mindfulness-based SEL curriculum including a French adaptation of the Kindness Curriculum (KC), delivered by pre-kindergarten teachers, in a cluster randomized control trial. Sixty-four classes (761 children, aged 38-58 months) from a socio-economically disadvantaged area in France were randomly assigned to either intervention or waiting-list control conditions. Indicator -management, positive relationships with teachers and peers, emotional processing and executive functioning were collected through teacher-rated questionnaires, standardized observations, and behavioral tasks. Results in mental health, including a reduction in emotional, conduct and peer relationship problems, and a reduction in teacher-child conflicts. No significant effects were found on the other indicators. Heterogeneity analyses revealed stronger effects of the intervention on mental health and positive effects on self-management, relationships with teachers and relationships with peers in several subgroups. This program appears as a promising early intervention promoting mental health and positive relationships, especially for at-risk subgroups of preschool-aged children.
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 6
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Promoting prosocial behavior and self-regulatory skills in preschool children through a mindfulness-based kindness curriculum. Developmental Psychology November 10, 2014
- Applying the S-ART Framework to Yoga: Exploring the Self-Regulatory Action of Yoga Practice in Two Culturally Diverse Samples. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- Mindfulness-based school interventions: A systematic review of outcome evidence quality by study design Mindfulness May 23, 2022
and 1 more in the library