Sitting-meditation interventions among youth: a review of treatment efficacy.
Pediatrics August 24, 2009 David S. Black, Joel Milam, Steve Sussman 266 citations
A systematic review of 16 empirical studies from 1982 to 2008 examined the health effects of sitting-meditation practices (mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) in youth aged 6 to 18 years in school, clinic, and community settings. Most study samples consisted of youth with preexisting conditions such as high-normal blood pressure, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and learning disabilities; studies of physiologic outcomes involved almost entirely African American/black participants. Median effect sizes for physiologic outcomes ranged from 0.16 to 0.29 and for psychosocial/behavioral outcomes from 0.27 to 0.70, slightly smaller than those in adult samples. Sitting meditation appears to be an effective intervention for physiologic, psychosocial, and behavioral conditions in youth, but more rigorous research is needed.