Abstract
IntroductionIn this study we compared the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with a story reading intervention (SI) on the executive functions and psychological profile of children in two different public schools in São Paulo, Brazil.MethodsIn this controlled clinical trial, 207 children aged 8 to 9 years old responded to the Five-Digit Test (FDT), stress levels, depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, at baseline (T0) and 8 weeks later (T1). From T0 to T1, school 1 participated in MBI classes and school 2 in IS classes.ResultsIn school 1 (MBI), children improved their scores on all tests except reading (errors) and counting (errors) compared with school 2. No differences were observed between groups in terms of emotional health.ConclusionIt is feasible to implement MBI or SI in Brazilian public schools. Students in the MBI group presented broader effects in executive functions, while students in the SI group showed a trend toward reduced negative affect and depression symptoms.
Highlights
In this study we compared the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with a story reading intervention (SI) on the executive functions and psychological profile of children in two different public schools in São Paulo, Brazil
The authors found that greater effectiveness is achieved on emotional health when interventions focused on the promotion of self-esteem, mental health and coping outcomes of the students, rather than the prevention of mental health problems were implemented at schools (Green et al, 2005)
At baseline (T0), we applied the following instruments: Sociodemographic Questionnaire Sociodemographic questionnaire included questions about age, gender, religious beliefs, father’s or mother’s schooling, and family income. This was a controlled clinical trial without randomization, that compared two groups of children from two different public schools: a group of children who participated in a MBI and a group who participated in a story reading intervention (SI)
Summary
In this study we compared the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with a story reading intervention (SI) on the executive functions and psychological profile of children in two different public schools in São Paulo, Brazil. Positive effects on mental health and quality of life among children and adolescents have been reported when mindfulness is used as the main intervention and when used as one resource within socioemotional development programs. There has been a recent surge in mindfulness-based interventions developed for children, mainly in school contexts (Felver et al, 2016). These programs implement simple techniques that aim to increase selfawareness and help regulate attention, emotions and behavior in children and adolescents (Britton et al, 2014), with some reporting positive effects on school performance, psychological well-being, self-esteem and social skills (Rempel, 2012). In the Mindfulness literature, several of the functions targeted in these interventions are referred to as executive functions (EF)
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