Benefits of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention upon School Entry: A Pilot Study.
Adam Koncz, Ferenc Köteles, Zsolt Demetrovics, Zsófia K. Takács
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health November 30, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312630 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study (quasi-experimental, passive control group) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 61 |
| Population | First-grade children (mean age 84.95 months, SD 5.21) from four classes at a primary school in Budapest |
| Duration | Six sessions, applied right after school entry |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Pilot projects Stress, psychological Schools Female Children Cortisol Intervention Executive functions School entry |
| Key findings | The six-session mindfulness intervention did not affect morning salivary cortisol, but it significantly improved working memory in girls. The authors argue that a short, story-based mindfulness program can enhance working memory in first graders and may thereby support academic performance and school adaptation. |
Abstract
Background: mindfulness meditation is effective at fostering the executive functioning of children, i.e., the skills that play important roles in academic performance and social-emotional wellbeing. One possible mechanism for such an effect might be that meditation practices can decrease stress, especially if someone is at a risk for elevated cortisol levels, for instance, due to a stressful life event, such as starting school. Participants and
Methods: the present pilot study tested the effects of a six-session mindfulness intervention applied right after school entry compared to a passive control group. In total 61 first graders participated (Mage = 84.95 months, SD = 5.21) in this study from four classes of a primary school in Budapest. Repeated-measures ANOVA were performed to explore the effects on executive functioning skills and cortisol levels.
Results: no effect was found on morning salivary cortisol levels, but the working memory capacities of girls significantly improved as a result of the intervention.
Conclusions: a relatively short, story-based mindfulness intervention can improve the working memory capacities of first-graders; thus, it could potentially contribute to the academic performance and adaptation of children in schools.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Children’s Executive Functions: An Updated Meta-Analysis Mindfulness August 19, 2026
- The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Children’s Self-Regulation Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem 2023
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Schools: Assessing the Evidence Base. Psychiatric Services 2025
- Mindfulness and Academic Performance: A Literature Review Migration Letters December 20, 2023
- Rural sixth-grade teachers' and students' perceptions of a mindfulness-based mental health curriculum. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
and 1 more in the library
Cites 8
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Research Review: The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents – a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry October 22, 2018
- Promoting prosocial behavior and self-regulatory skills in preschool children through a mindfulness-based kindness curriculum. Developmental Psychology November 10, 2014
- Short Mindfulness-Based Relaxation Training Has No Effects on Executive Functions but May Reduce Baseline Cortisol Levels of Boys in First Grade: A Pilot Study. Children February 4, 2022
- Meditation interventions efficiently reduce cortisol levels of at-risk samples: a meta-analysis Health Psychology Review July 7, 2020
and 3 more in the library