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Mindfulness-Training in Preadolescents in School: The Role of Emotionality, EEG in Theta/Beta Bands, Creativity and Attention

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Abstract

Mindfulness meditation is a means of increasing awareness of the present moment. Mindfulness Mediation Interventions (MMI) positively impact psychological functioning, yet the neurocognitive mechanisms that mediate these effects have been less well-defined. Here, the primary aim was to evaluate whether the effects of a 10-week MMI were mediated by changes in attention and creativity performance, as well as resting-state theta/beta (TB) ratio and alpha power. We also sought to determine whether any of these measures at baseline were predictive of mindfulness success, as rated by the 7–11-year-old participants and their teachers. Reductions in depression from pre-to-post were mediated by reductions in TB ratio and increases in alpha power; however, they were not mediated by attention/creativity changes. Higher baseline attention and creativity scores predicted enhanced mindfulness success post-intervention but notably, follow-up analyses revealed that those scoring lower on these measures were more likely to have reduced depression from pre-to-post.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Sciences/Neuroscience, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Nathaniel A. Shanok, Camila Saldias-Manieu, Krystal D. Mize, Victoria Chassin & Nancy Aaron Jones

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  1. Nathaniel A. Shanok
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  2. Camila Saldias-Manieu
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  3. Krystal D. Mize
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Correspondence to Nathaniel A. Shanok.

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Shanok, N.A., Saldias-Manieu, C., Mize, K.D. et al. Mindfulness-Training in Preadolescents in School: The Role of Emotionality, EEG in Theta/Beta Bands, Creativity and Attention. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 54, 1152–1166 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-022-01318-7

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