Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C)
Effectiveness

Promising

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Promising

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Life periods served
Country of application
Description

This is a psychotherapeutic intervention that combines mindfulness techniques and cognitive strategies for children aged 8 to 12 with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. The aim is to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms, promote emotional self-regulation, and decentralize attention from thoughts and emotions.
Parents are also involved in the process, receiving psychotherapeutic support and being instructed to review the lessons learned with the children at home. The intervention is structured in weekly individual and group sessions, and lasts 12 weeks.

Impact evaluations

Impact evaluation studies have shown that parents who participated in the program reported significantly fewer attention problems and anxiety symptoms, and better reading comprehension [1] [2]; significant reductions in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems; high attendance rates (78% to 94%); high retention rates in the intervention (68%) [3]; reduced symptoms of anxiety and worry [4] [5]; parents’ emotional regulation increased significantly in the before/after intervention comparison. Increased attention was associated with decreased anxiety. Children and their parents reported high levels of feasibility, acceptability, and usefulness of the intervention [5].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Semple, R. J., Reid, E. F., & Miller, L. (2005). Treating anxiety with mindfulness: An open trial of mindfulness training for anxious children. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 19, 379–392. DOI: 10.1891/jcop.2005.19.4.379.

[2] Semple, R. J., Lee, J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. F. (2010). A randomized trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children: Promoting mindful attention to enhance social-emotional resiliency in children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19, 218–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9301-y

[3] Lee, J., Semple, R. J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. (2008). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children: Results of a pilot study. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 22, 15–28. DOI: 10.1891/0889.8391.22.1.15.

[4] Semple, R. J., Lee, J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. F. (2010). A randomized trial of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children: Promoting mindful attention to enhance social-emotional resiliency in children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19, 218-229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-009-9301-y

[5] Dehghani, F., Amiri, S., Molavi, H., & Neshat-Doost, H. T. (2014). Effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy on female elementary students with generalized anxiety disorder. International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Research, 3, 159–165.