Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are at increased risk of experiencing
stress and associated social-emotional difficulties and behavioural problems, which can
undermine academic performance and lead to school drop-out. Previous studies
investigating the effects of mindfulness have evidenced positive outcomes among
children pertaining to enhanced well-being, school-based competence and decreased
levels of stress and anxiety. However, these studies have typically examined teacher’s
perceptions of change or quantitative outcomes without consideration of children’s
experiences. The present study employs an interpretative qualitative approach to gain a
greater understanding of children’s experiences of mindfulness in dealing with stress. A
5-week school-based mindfulness program was performed with 63 primary school
children at risk of social exclusion in education. Interviews were undertaken with 16
children and 2 teachers. Thematic analysis identified five key themes labelled
conceptualisation of stress, awareness, self-regulation, classroom regulations and
addressing future stress. Quantitative measures of children’s perceived stress levels
evaluated at baseline and follow-up also revealed significant reductions post
intervention. These findings offer support for the incorporation of mindfulness
interventions into the school curriculum, as a means of empowering children to address
stress in their lives and improving full participation in the education system.peer-reviewe
