Mindfulness training teaches kids to pay attention to the present moment without judgment Practicing mindfulness techniques such as meditation or breathing awareness may help prevent mental health issues, a research review suggests These techniques also promote clearer thinking, which may translate to better grades FRIDAY, August 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Teaching schoolkids to practice mindfulness can boost their mental health — and, maybe, even their grades. That's the takeaway from a new review of more than three dozen research studies on school-based mindfulness interventions, such as seated or slow-walking meditation. In a nutshell, these programs teach kids to pay attention to the present moment and not to be judgmental about it.
"As mindfulness interventions become more widely used and extensively studied, they hold promise for fostering student well-being and mitigating the development of mental health conditions over time," Tina Marshall and her colleagues at the Maryland research organization Westat wrote in the journal Her team reviewed 41 studies published between 2008 and 2022 of school-based mindfulness interventions. All had at least two mindfulness components — for example, a combo of breathing awareness and awareness of body sensations. Of 24 interventions researchers identified, three had strong evidence of effectiveness: All three included such components as awareness of breathing, bodily sensations, mental states and regulating one's own emotions.
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