Impact of a mindfulness-based intervention on well-being and mental health of elementary school children: Results from a randomized cluster trial

Abstract Background: Prevention programs for children such as mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are often implemented in schools to prevent psychological disorders from emerging and contribute to children’ mental health. Aim: This study used a randomized cluster design and assessed the impact of a MBI on well-being and mental health of elementary school children’s. Method: 13 elementary school classrooms were randomly allocated to the experimental condition (7 classrooms, n = 127 students) or the waitlist control condition (6 classrooms, n = 104 students). Participants in the experimental condition received a 10-week MBI. Results: Regression analyses revealed significant differences between conditions for inattention. Participants in the MBI condition reported no changes in pre- to post-intervention scores, whereas participants from the control conditionreported increases in scores. Results also showed significant differences in competence scores. Participants in the MBI condition reported a non-significant decrease in competence scores, whereas participants in the control condition reported significantly higher competence scores from pre- to post-intervention. Discussion: Results do not indicate that the MBI had a significant impact on children’s well-being and mental health. This suggests MBIs may not have an added value when compared to other preventive interventions geared towards well-being and mental health promotion in school settings.