Is mindfulness training in schools improving mental health?

Research suggests that some students benefitted from meditation practice – but others were bored by it

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in the Guardian

Practising mindfulness in schools does not appear to boost well-being, according to recent analysis, which found that most pupils did not continue with it at home. Concerns are mounting about young people’s mental health and mindfulness training has been implemented in some schools to tackle this. 

It is intended to focus the mind on the present moment and requires paying attention to fleeting feelings as a means of managing behaviour and improving resilience. However, researchers from the My Resilience in Adolescence (Myriad) trial found that broad school-based mindfulness had generally not been effective. 

Tests included a cluster of five studies over eight years by about 100 researchers on 28,000 teenagers and 650 teachers in 100 schools. It did find the training had a positive impact on teachers, and helped reduce burn-out, but these benefits were likely to be short-lived.

The study was published in the Evidence-Based Mental Health journal, and was carried out by the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, King’s College London, University College London and Pennsylvania State in the US

The chair of the child and adolescent faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dr Elaine Lockhart, commented, “Mindfulness can be helpful in managing emotions, but it won’t be enough for those children and young people who need support with their mental wellbeing, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic.

“They will need a full range of services to meet their mental health needs and getting help early is absolutely key in preventing mental health problems from developing or escalating in adulthood.”