Exploring moderators of intervention effects of a mindfulness program for Filipino children

ABSTRACT

This study explored age and gender as moderators of the effects of a school-based mindfulness program on Filipino youth’s depressive and anxiety symptoms, and emotion regulation capacities. Using a randomized controlled trial design, 186 public school children in the Philippines aged 9–16 were randomly assigned to either 8 weekly sessions of a mindfulness program or 8 weekly sessions of a handicrafts program as an active control condition. Simple moderation analyses using PROCESS macro indicated that age and gender were significant moderators. Specifically, the mindfulness intervention was more effective for older children than younger children in alleviating difficulties in impulse control, emotional acceptance, and use of emotion regulation strategies. In addition, the mindfulness intervention was more effective for girls than boys in improving anxiety symptoms and emotional acceptance. These findings highlighted the need to consider participant characteristics such as age and gender in designing and implementing mindfulness-based intervention programs in the school context.

KEYWORDS:

• Mindfulness
• Filipino youth
• moderator
• depression
• anxiety
• emotion regulation

Acknowledgments

This paper is based on data from the Kamalayan project which was conducted with the cooperation of the Ateneo Bulatao Center and the financial support of Grand Challenges Canada and the Government of Canada, through a grant (0597-04) to the Centre for Mindfulness Studies. The primary author’s work on this paper was partially supported by a research fellowship awarded by Global TIES for Children at New York University and funded by a grant from the Hewlett Foundation.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, LJGT, upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Grand Challenges Canada; William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Notes on contributors

Lourdes Joy T. Galvez Tan

Lourdes Joy T. Galvez Tan, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology in the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines.

Liane Peña Alampay

Liane Peña Alampay, PhD, is Professor at the Department of Psychology in the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines.