The limited prosocial effects of meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Many individuals believe that meditation has the capacity to not only alleviate mental-illness but to improve prosociality. This article systematically reviewed and meta-analysed the effects of meditation interventions on prosociality in randomized controlled trials of healthy adults. Five types of social behaviours were identified: compassion, empathy, aggression, connectedness and prejudice. Although we found a moderate increase in prosociality following meditation, further analysis indicated that this effect was qualified by two factors: type of prosociality and methodological quality. Meditation interventions had an effect on compassion and empathy, but not on aggression, connectedness or prejudice. We further found that compassion levels only increased under two conditions: when the teacher in the meditation intervention was a co-author in the published study; and when the study employed a passive (waiting list) control group but not an active one. Contrary to popular beliefs that meditation will lead to prosocial changes, the results of this meta-analysis showed that the effects of meditation on prosociality were qualified by the type of prosociality and methodological quality of the study. We conclude by highlighting a number of biases and theoretical problems that need addressing to improve quality of research in this area

Looking for a broad framework for the integration of mindfulness-based interventions in the educational system

Today, there is a crucial need for well-being to be a priority in the educational curriculum. 21st-century schools not only provide a broad set of academic skills, but they also promote the healthy development and mental health of children and adolescents through strengths-based education and the cultivation of socio-emotional and behavioral skills. Some of the evidence-based interventions that may address these requirements include mindfulness- and compassion-based programs (MBIs and CBIs). Nevertheless, there are still several open questions concerning the implementation of mindfulness in the educational system. In this chapter, our concern is how mindfulness may be integrated in a more comprehensive way in order to help ensure its sustainability in schools as well as in institutions embedded in specific socio-cultural contexts. Particularly, we suggest that a common, shared meaning in the educational system (i.e. individual and institutional level) may result in a network where mindfulness could be supported more sustainably. A shared meaning about why and for what ends adolescents should practice mindfulness may consider not solely a personal perspective but also a social and ecological one. In this context, MBIs would play a relevant role by mediating the multiple requirements introduced by a new mental health promotion paradigm in schools