Mindfulness Improves Students’ Mental Health and Academic Performance: Study

The practice of mindfulness could have a positive impact on the mental health of children and, potentially, their academic performance, a recent study found.
All of them contained at least two mindfulness components, such as a combination of body sensation awareness and breathing awareness. The researchers identified 24 interventions, and of these, three programs—Learning to BREATHE, Mindfulness in School Project, and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)—were rated as having a high level of impact.
These interventions were primarily conducted with middle or high school students, suggesting strong effectiveness for older age groups.
Three other programs—Gaia Program, MindUP, and a blended version of MBSR and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy—received a moderate rating for helpfulness among children.
In general, mindfulness training was associated with a variety of advantageous results, such as reduced tension, improved resilience, and more lucid thinking.
According to the review, the programs resulted in substantial improvements in emotional awareness and clarity, as well as reductions in self-hostility, depressive symptoms, avoidance, and rumination.
This study was published on the heels of several states considering changes in how schools respond to behavioral issues.
Instead of suspending unruly students, the bill suggests referring them to social workers, child psychologists, or anger management programs. Severe cases like bullying or violent behavior could still result in suspensions, while incidents involving racism would require additional interventions.
In contrast, Louisiana and Alabama have enacted laws empowering teachers to send disruptive students to the principal’s office for discipline, ensuring administrative support for educators.