Quiet time via transcendental meditation in secondary school pupils with special educational needs: effects on well-being and behaviour
Hannah Droscher, B. van den Hout, Leila Hughes, H. Evans, R. Banerjee, Mark Hayward
Pastoral Care in Education: An International Journal of Personal, Social and Emotional Development March 24, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/02643944.2021.1901968 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 33 |
| Population | Mainstream secondary school pupils with special educational needs, age 12-16, including children with autism |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Education |
| Key findings | Intention-to-treat analyses revealed no significant interactions between group and time, and the main analysis found no significant effect of Quiet Time on wellbeing. Within the Quiet Time group, higher attendance was associated with reductions in teacher-rated externalising difficulties, but these effects were mainly driven by the four pupils who attended more than 60% of sessions. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT This paper describes effects on wellbeing as well as logistical difficulties of implementing regular Quiet Time (QT) via Transcendental Meditation (TM) among mainstream secondary school pupils with special educational needs, age 12–16 measured via a pilot Randomised Control Trial (RCT). Participants were recruited from three mainstreams and one special school for children with autism and randomly allocated to QT (n = 17) or a Carry on as Usual (n = 16) control group. On average, the QT pupils attended only 2.7 meditation sessions per week, far fewer than the 10 sessions per week encouraged, despite TM being well liked. Pupils reported conflicting demands during TM time preventing regular attendance. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed no significant interactions between group and time. Within the QT group, higher attendance was associated with reductions in teacher-rated externalising difficulties, but these effects were mainly driven by the four pupils who attended more than 60% of the QT sessions. The main analysis revealed no significant effect of QT. The need for further feasibility work to establish and test strategies for promoting engagement with meditation strategies in busy secondary school environments is clear.
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 11
- Effectiveness of transcendental meditation on functional capacity and quality of life of African Americans with congestive heart failure: a randomized control study. 2007
- The Effects of the transcendental meditation program on mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology February 24, 2009
- Meditation-based therapies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Evidence-Based Mental Health August 2018
- Zen and the Art of Living Mindfully: The Health-Enhancing Potential of Zen Aesthetics. Journal of Religion and Health October 2017
- EEG microstates during different phases of Transcendental Meditation practice. Cognitive Processing August 1, 2017
and 6 more in the library