A small youth mindfulness trial calls for a larger test
A pilot study examines laboratory responses to emotional images, with important limits on what teachers can infer.
A pilot randomised trial published on 23 October examined an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction programme among 31 adolescents in residential mental-health care. Fourteen received the programme and seventeen received standard care. Researchers studied behavioural responses and electrical brain activity during an emotional-image task.
Keep the limits in view
The study reported differences in some reaction-time and later brain-response measures, but not significant group-by-condition interactions for the earlier P100 and P300 measures. This is a small, specific clinical sample and an early accepted manuscript. Laboratory findings do not establish lasting symptom improvement or show that the same results would follow in an ordinary yoga class. Larger studies and longer follow-up are needed before drawing broader conclusions.
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