Mindfulness for children in public schools: Current research and developmental issues to consider

Abstract

Mindfulness-based interventions have increased in popularity over the past decade and interest continues to increase in the potential to use mindfulness-based interventions in schools. The current research concerning school-based mindfulness-based interventions is reviewed in this article. This research base is fragmented, as most of the studies are underpowered, use uneven dosing, and have not considered important developmental covariates such as cognitive ability. Suggestions for future research are offered including larger, more systematic intervention studies. Practical considerations for providing mindfulness-based interventions in schools are offered, including potential program evaluation outcome measures.

Keywords::

• mindfulness
• school-age
• mindfulness-based stress reduction

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeanne Chadwick

Jeanne Joseph Chadwick is an Assistant Professor in Residence at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCONN Health), Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Her pre-doctoral research ranges from anxiety disorders, phobias, and depressive disorders, and includes suicide screening in the New York Public Schools during her internship at the New York State Psychiatric Institute through Columbia University. She received her Masters' Degree in Psychology from New York University, and her Masters' of Public Health degree, including four years of training in Psychiatric Epidemiology from the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Later, she completed her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut. Her doctoral research focused on Identity Development influenced by Mindful Parenting. Over the past 16 years, she completed training for the empirically-based clinical intervention MBSR (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction) from the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare, and Society, University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed additional training in MBCT (Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy) for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder from Dr. Zindel Segal at the University of Toronto.

Nicholas W. Gelbar

Nick Gelbar is an Assistant Professor in Community Medicine and Health Care at the University of Connecticut Health Center and serves as the Research Director at the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Dr. Gelbar earned his PhD from the University of Connecticut in Educational Psychology with a concentration in School Psychology. He is also a licensed psychologist whose clinical and research work focus on adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.