Abstract
Executive functions, including attention and regulation, are relevant to successful participation in complex occupations. A scoping review was conducted to summarize and evaluate current evidence for the impact of mindfulness on the attention and regulation skills of preadolescents and adolescents. Findings suggest early promise of mindfulness interventions in improving these skills in the target population. However, firm conclusions cannot be drawn due to low trustworthiness of the evidence.
Primary Author and Speaker: Rebecca Mariel Rutta
Additional Authors and Speakers: Shamta Kumar, Varada Pisharody, and Kaitlyn Cecilia Irwin
Contributing Authors: Nancy Baker, Elizabeth Marfeo, and Margaret Morris
This poster summarizes and evaluates current evidence regarding the effect of mindfulness practice on the attention and regulation skills of pre-adolescents and adolescents. Executive functioning difficulties, including attention and regulation challenges, are associated with many diagnoses including developmental disabilities, mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and traumatic brain injuries (Cramm et al., 2015). These difficulties may also be present in individuals without a formal diagnosis. Recent research has supported the use of mindfulness as an intervention for reducing symptoms of mental health-related diagnoses and improving stress management (Creswell, 2017). Research has also indicated that mindfulness can improve the attention skills of healthy young adults (Creswell, 2017). These results suggest that mindfulness could improve executive functioning in pre-adolescents and adolescents, particularly those experiencing or at-risk for mental health challenges. The prefrontal cortex, which is linked to attention and regulation skills, is not yet fully developed in pre-adolescents and adolescents (Slavin, 2012). Therefore, improving executive functioning for this population could support improved long-term occupational performance. A scoping review was conducted in which eight articles that fit established inclusion criteria were selected from four electronic databases: Scopus, PsycInfo, Eric, and PubMed New. A pre-determined set of key words was typed into each database. Titles and abstracts of the results were then scanned and either kept or eliminated based on relevance. Two researchers read each of the remaining articles in full and reached a consensus about the article’s inclusion in the review. The researchers collaborated to extract and code data from the selected articles using an a priori data extraction form and codebook. The trustworthiness of each article was subsequently assessed by two researchers using a critical appraisal grid. The state of the science demonstrated by the results of the scoping review suggest that mindfulness interventions of various types, including meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises, show promise for improving the attention and self-regulation skills of pre-adolescents and adolescents. All eight studies included in the scoping review found improvements in the participants attention skills, regulation skills, or both. However, studies reported small and moderate effect sizes on these outcomes post-intervention. Mindfulness shows promise as a group intervention, as it is present in 75% of the studies. Firm conclusions about the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions on the executive functioning of pre-adolescents and adolescents cannot be made due to the low trustworthiness of 75% of the evidence. Further research should explore potential long-term and individual practice effects, compare the efficacy of different forms and frequencies of mindfulness, and differentiate between the population subsets. The studies analyzed are clinically relevant due to their demonstration of mindfulness’s promise as an intervention for addressing executive functioning in this population. Attention and regulation are important for successful participation in various occupations, particularly those requiring sustained focus such as formal education. Mindfulness appears to have potential utility as a preparatory measure for clinicians when addressing attention and regulation, particularly in community settings where several studies held interventions. Thus, the use of mindfulness as an intervention may improve the attention and regulation skills of pre-adolescents and adolescents, and would be recommended for use in combination with clinical reasoning.
Cramm, H., Krupa, T., Missiuna, C., Lysaght, R., & Parker, K. (2015). The expanding relevance of executive functioning in occupational therapy: Is it on your radar? Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63(1), 214-217. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12244
Creswell, J. (2017). Mindfulness interventions. Annual Review of Psychology, 68(1), 491-516. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-042716-051339
Felver, J. C., Tipsord, J. M., Morris, M. J., Racer, K. H., & Dishion, T. J. (2017). The effects of mindfulness-based intervention on children’s attention regulation. Journal of Attention Disorders, 21(10), 872–881. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054714548032
Slavin R. (2012). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (10th ed.). Pearson Education.