Effectiveness of Integrated Mindfulness Meditation on Adolescents' Cognitive Well-Being: A Quasi-Experimental Study in a Culturally Diverse School Setting in Northeast India
Vintu Augustine, Greta D’Souza
CRC Press eBooks October 28, 2026 DOI: 10.1201/9781003787709-42 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 76 |
| Population | Mid-adolescents from socioeconomically and ethnolinguistically diverse backgrounds in Northeast India |
| Interventions | Integrated Mindfulness Meditation for Adolescents (IMM-A) breathwork body awareness reflective practices |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Measures | Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences - Adolescents (CHIME-A), Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The intervention group showed significantly greater pre-post gains than controls on mindfulness (Time × Group F(1,74)=42.60, partial eta squared=.37) and cognitive flexibility (F(1,74)=68.30, partial eta squared=.48). The authors conclude that a culturally responsive mindfulness program can strengthen adolescent mindfulness and perceived cognitive adaptability. |
Abstract
Adolescent mental and cognitive well-being in schools is a global concern, particularly for students from marginalised and culturally diverse communities who face barriers to tailored support. This study examines the effectiveness of an eight-week school-based program, Integrated Mindfulness Meditation for Adolescents (IMM-A), in enhancing mindfulness and perceived cognitive flexibility among mid-adolescents from socioeconomically and ethnolinguistically diverse backgrounds in Northeast India. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was employed with 76 participants (38 intervention, 38 control). The intervention consisted of 24 culturally adapted mindfulness sessions that integrated breathwork, body awareness, and reflective practices. Standardised measures – the Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences - Adolescents (CHIME-A) and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) – were administered pre- and post-intervention. Data were analysed in SPSS v.29.Findings indicated significantly greater pre-post gains for the intervention group than for controls on both outcomes: mindfulness Time × Group, F (1, 74) = 42.60, p < .001, η²p = .37; cognitive flexibility Time × Group, F (1, 74) = 68.30, p < .001, η²p = .48. These results indicate that a culturally responsive mindfulness programme can strengthen adolescent mindfulness and perceived cognitive adaptability. Looking forward, scalability may be supported through digital health tools, implemented with appropriate ethical and cultural safeguards for sustainable, school-based delivery.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |