Mindfulness-based intervention for primary school aged children
Institution: | Swinburne University of Technology |
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Department: | Faculty of Health, Arts and Design |
Degree: | DPsych |
Year: | 2015 |
Keywords: | Mindfulness; Children; Self-esteem; Anxiety |
Record ID: | 1046232 |
Full text PDF: | http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/398239 |
A mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program for adults was adapted and piloted for nine disadvantaged children. A refined mindfulness intervention was then evaluated in a partially randomized controlled trial with 76 children aged between eight and 12 years. Children who underwent the mindfulness intervention showed superior improvements for anxiety, depression, inattention, and low self-esteem compared to a wellbeing program. Improvements to self-esteem were also superior compared to a widely used relaxation treatment. The study supports the utility of mindfulness as a treatment to improve the mental health of disadvantaged children.