The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on primary school students’ symptoms of inattention, depression, and anxiety: A moderated mediation examination

The number of mindfulness-based interventions has proliferated in the last decade as accessible evidence-based practices to improve children’s mental health in schools. However, some studies also suggest that mindfulness programs do not have added values compared to other mental health promotion interventions. These differences in effectiveness can partly be due to the lack of definition of what constitutes a mindfulness-based intervention, inconsistency in intervention length and in the training of facilitators. Hence, there is a lack of research and knowledge on the mechanisms that underlie these potential changes. The present study aimed to explore whether dispositional (i.e., trait) mindfulness mediated mental health indicators through time, in elementary school children. A secondary objective meant to evaluate whether receiving a mindfulness-based intervention could moderate such a relationship. Results showed that mindfulness scores mediated indicators of mental health. Specifically, mindfulness mediated increases in inattention, anxiety and depression throughout time. Taking part in a mindfulness-based intervention did not have a significant impact on this relationship. Results thus lend support to exercising caution when aiming to only foster mindfulness abilities, without ensuring that children also learn the emotion regulation skills that are required to deal with the increased awareness of their difficulties.