Do mindfulness-based programmes improve the cognitive skills, behaviour and mental health of children and adolescents? An updated meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

66 randomised trials, N = 20,138 (9,552 mindfulness, 10,586 control), participants under 19; 36 active-control and 41 passive-control comparisons

Children and adolescents under 19, international.

The single cleanest demonstration in this tranche of why control type is the whole ballgame. Same meta-analysis, same outcome, split by control condition.

Executive functioning across all studies gives d = 0.25 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.36, k = 36, n = 11,618) with I-squared of 76 and significant publication bias (Egger t = 3.49, p < .01). Against ACTIVE controls it is d = 0.04 (-0.06 to 0.13, k = 14, p = .45) - a null. Against passive controls it is 0.35 (0.19 to 0.52). Attention shows the identical pattern - 0.21 overall, 0.04 against active controls, 0.35 against passive. In studies with a follow-up there were no significant positive effects at all. Against active controls only mindfulness itself (0.24) and anxiety/stress (0.11) survived. The authors' own summary is that enthusiasm for mindfulness-based programmes in youth has arguably run ahead of the evidence.

Low - a synthesis of randomised trials.

Supersedes the same group's 2019 meta-analysis, in which executive function had ALREADY dropped out against active controls. The direction of travel within a proponent-adjacent research group across two syntheses is itself evidence.