The Effect of a ‘Mental Stillness’ Meditation Intervention on the Mental Health Risk of Primary School Aged Children

Abstract

This thesis describes a field study utilising a 3-arm, control design to compare the effect of 2 different delivery models of “mental stillness” meditation (video vs face-to-face) with a no-intervention control on mental health risk of 132 primary school students from prep and first grade. The intervention period was 3 academic school terms (30 weeks). We assessed emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems and prosocial behaviour, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at baseline and post-intervention. Statistical analysis of the data demonstrated that the improvement of the video group was significantly greater than the improvement in the face-to-face group. Further, the improvement of the face-to-face group was significantly greater than the small improvement observed in the control group. We conclude: first, that mental stillness meditation can improve the mental health risk of primary school students. Second, the strategy is easily implemented in a real world, school context. Third, and most importantly, the low cost video-guided meditation delivery strategy is both feasible and possibly more effective than the more traditional face-to-face instruction method.«br /» We systematically collected feedback from 2,000 professionals who work with children, and had the video resource demonstrated to them. Analysis of this data demonstrates strongly positive perceptions about the suitability of the resource as a primary preventative mental health strategy that can be implemented in the school environment.«br /»