Gender differences in response to a school-based mindfulness training intervention for early adolescents

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Education

Background:

• Mindfulness training is recognized for enhancing emotional wellbeing in early adolescents.
• Limited understanding exists regarding moderators of treatment outcomes in mindfulness interventions.
• Investigating individual differences, such as gender, is crucial for tailoring interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine gender as a potential moderator of affective outcomes in school-based mindfulness training.
• To assess the impact of mindfulness meditation on emotional wellbeing, mindfulness, and self-compassion in sixth graders.
• To explore gender-specific effects of mindfulness on emotional wellbeing and the role of self-compassion.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 100 sixth-grade students.
• Participants were assigned to a six-week mindfulness meditation program or an active control group.
• Self-reported measures of affect, mindfulness, and self-compassion were collected pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Mindfulness meditators reported significantly greater improvements in emotional wellbeing compared to the control group.
• Female meditators experienced greater increases in positive affect than females in the control group; males showed equivalent gains.
• Increased self-compassion was associated with improved affect exclusively among female meditators.

Conclusions:

• School-based mindfulness interventions are effective in improving adolescent emotional wellbeing.
• Gender moderates the affective benefits of mindfulness training, with females showing distinct patterns of improvement.
• Interventions may need tailoring to address the specific developmental needs of adolescent males and females.