Abstract
Introduction: The review described in this protocol will be the first critical realist review of the literature reporting on the impact of school-based mindfulness interventions on the mental wellbeing of pupils. Mindfulness interventions are increasingly being introduced into schools to promote children’s (and teachers’) wellbeing. Findings from impact evaluations, including systematic reviews and metanalysis, suggest that school-based mindfulness interventions promote pupils’ wellbeing. However, there is a need for further evidence on the underlying causal mechanisms and contexts that explain program outcomes, to provide insight into how mindfulness programs can be successfully implemented in other contexts.
Methods and analysis: A critical realist review methodology will be used to provide a causal interdisciplinary understanding of how school-based mindfulness interventions promote the mental wellbeing of pupils. This will be done through a systematic literature review and extrapolating context, agency, intervention, mechanisms, and outcome configurations. This will enable an understanding of how, in certain contexts, pupils can use the resources offered by a mindfulness intervention knowingly or unknowingly to trigger mechanisms that promote their mental wellbeing and what mechanisms in the context support, restrict or prevent change. We will then use retrodiction and retroduction to develop the most plausible interdisciplinary middle-range theory to explain the findings.
Discussion: The review findings will inform a critical realist evaluation of a mindfulness intervention in schools. The findings from the review will also enable us to inform policymakers and other stakeholders about what conditions need to be in place for mindfulness interventions to promote pupils’ mental wellbeing. We will publish the findings from the review in academic and professional publications, policy briefs, workshops, conferences, and social media.
PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023410484.
Methods and analysis: A critical realist review methodology will be used to provide a causal interdisciplinary understanding of how school-based mindfulness interventions promote the mental wellbeing of pupils. This will be done through a systematic literature review and extrapolating context, agency, intervention, mechanisms, and outcome configurations. This will enable an understanding of how, in certain contexts, pupils can use the resources offered by a mindfulness intervention knowingly or unknowingly to trigger mechanisms that promote their mental wellbeing and what mechanisms in the context support, restrict or prevent change. We will then use retrodiction and retroduction to develop the most plausible interdisciplinary middle-range theory to explain the findings.
Discussion: The review findings will inform a critical realist evaluation of a mindfulness intervention in schools. The findings from the review will also enable us to inform policymakers and other stakeholders about what conditions need to be in place for mindfulness interventions to promote pupils’ mental wellbeing. We will publish the findings from the review in academic and professional publications, policy briefs, workshops, conferences, and social media.
PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023410484.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1309649 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Frontiers in public health |
| Volume | 11 |
| Early online date | 9 Jan 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 9 Jan 2024 |
Bibliographical note
The research is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (GB) (NIHR 133712) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. The funders did not and will not have a role in study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The funders did not and will not have a role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Keywords
- Mindfulness
- schools
- mental wellbeing
- children and adolescents
- critical realism
- complexity theory
Access to Document
- Abbott_etal_FiPH_A_Protocol_For_VOR
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