Mindfulness is hugely popular across the world and there is a question to be asked about whether it could prove useful at scale in schools and colleges.

It is clear that mental health referrals are up across young people, from around one in eight children and young people in 2017 to one in five in 2023.

Not only that,  more than a quarter of a million (270,300) young people were still waiting for mental health support after being referred to mental health services in 2022-23.

There have also been clear and proven links between mental health and school absence for year 11 students. Since COVID, schools have been grappling with falling attendance and struggles with young people not getting access to mental health support.

There is some consistent evidence that mindfulness interventions can help adults in groups. It makes complete sense then to trial it in schools to see if it can address the 'mental health crisis' that politicians and education leaders talk about so commonly.

The problem with mindfulness interventions

A proven, relatively cost effective approach like mindfulness is just what schools and colleges need, right?

Alas, what seems promising for adults doesn't appear to have the same positive effects on young people in groups based in schools.

The MYRIAD trial ('My Resilience in Adolescence') based at Oxford University producing disappointing results for whole-school interventions. It showed that a series of lessons on mental well being and mindfulness strategies made no positive difference a year later. Some children who got the intervention actually had higher teacher-reported emotional issues after undergoing the training.

Research published by the Department for Education in February showed in new research involving over 20,000 children, presented a more mixed picture. It claimed no impact on young people's emotional difficulties in the short or long term.

The DfE research found some interesting wrinkles about how children were impacted differently. Their analysis suggested that girls in primary schools may benefit from a short term approach, whereas children with Special Educational Needs and with higher levels of prior mental health symptoms may experience worsened emotional difficulties a year later.

They also found that relaxation techniques (seemingly harmless to the untrained eye) were associated with higher levels of emotional difficulties for young people in secondary school.

Though the finding are not categorial, mindfulness doesn't appear to be a group solution. Indeed, for the children in greatest need of support, it may even make things worse.

In a culture that expects schools to do more and more, it is a chastening example that scaled up universal approaches cannot compensate for targeted, individual, and expert, health services.

The evidence appears to reveal that we need to be more specific about groups and individuals - pretty much the costly, intensive support to address significant social and emotional issues.

It is pleasing to see that the government are committing to offering new investment so that 6 in 10 pupils will have access to a mental health support team by March 2026. Clearly, the expert services need building up again so that they can support every child. But what is also clear is that there is a long way to go before we have a functioning support system.

What should schools do?

Mindfulness training... relaxation techniques...lessons on GRIT... approaches to boost belonging. It is all tricky territory of emotional health and well-being that we need to be careful about. The following the evidence trail is doubly important and should give us pause.

The assumption is that schools should always do more. Maybe share some simple strategies, or establish a mental health lead? Doing something is better than doing nothing, right?

The issue is that schools doing nothing - at least when it comes to universal mental health approaches, or well being assemblies that promote mindfulness - may be the safest, best course of action. It is paradoxical but it appears to be true.

Though access to mental health services is still crucially compromised, schools should devote their efforts to helping young people and their families to access the best local support available.

Related reading:

  • Approaches to whole school and system approaches can suffer from a 'voltage drop'. Find out more in my blog HERE.