The impact of guided meditation on children's behaviour, mental health and well-being

This study investigated the effectiveness of guided meditation as a school-based program for improving children’s mental health outcomes. A total of 374 grade 5 and 6 children (ages 10 to 12) were randomly assigned to either 10 minutes of daily guided meditation or reading (the control activity) over 8 consecutive weeks. Unexpectedly, both guided meditation and reading were effective in improving the behaviour, mental health and well-being of children with a clinical presentation. Results highlighted that guided meditation and reading have the potential to be effective mental health promotion initiatives to create better mental health outcomes for primary school children.