Special Report: Children's Mental Health - Research evidence

Study 1

Review: Effectiveness of mindfulness in improving mental health symptoms of children and adolescents: a meta-analysis

Kannan Kallapiran, Siew Koo, Richard Kirubakaran and Karen Hancock, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, (2015)

There has been an upsurge in the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in treating adolescent mental health issues. This systematic review considers the impact of different MBIs when managing a variety of mental health disorders in children and adolescents.

There is a consensus that mindfulness refers to the development of a sustained attention to the present but there is no conclusive definition in use. Here, the authors conceptualise mindfulness as developing an attitude of non-judgment and acceptance of the present. While MBIs developed for use with different groups practice mindfulness in a variety of ways, the majority are brief, group-based interventions utilising meditation techniques.

Popular MBIs include mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT). Previous reviews have suggested that techniques might be successfully adapted for use with children and adolescents, though the studies reviewed were deemed to be of poor quality.

Kallapiran et al included 11 randomised control trials (RCTs) in this review conducted in both clinical and non-clinical settings. A total of 1,454 participants were included. The quality of the interventions reviewed was assessed as mostly good (assessed on factors including structure of the intervention, experience of therapist and sample size). This reflects the fact that the methodological rigour of the studies evaluating the impact of MBIs is improving. Key findings for some specific interventions were: