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Children’s Mental Health Week 2023 – Three-quarters of Primary School Children Benefit from Mindfulness
Children's Mental Health Week 2023 takes place from 6 -12 February 2023. This week, we’re excited to share the results of our research report on the impact of the Paws b Mindfulness programme, which we deliver in primary schools across Northern Ireland.
We commissioned an independent study into the benefits of mindfulness, which reveals 76% of teachers reported positive behavioural change in primary school pupils.
Teachers observed calmer and more relaxed pupils, better concentration and focus and pupils openly talking about their emotions following a programme designed for 7-11-year-olds.
Pupils self-reported changes in their capacity to self-regulate and apply their learnings to different contexts. They ranked ‘growing happiness’ and ‘concentrating’ joint first on 81% as being most supportive of their knowledge of mindfulness techniques. 76% said they know what to do when ‘worrying, feeling sad or angry’.
Over three-quarters of pupils (76%) would apply finger breathing, a technique to induce deep relaxation and counting the breath (72%) as tools they would use in their lives when feeling the need to be calm.
During the ‘Paws b’ programme, pupils recorded practising mindfulness techniques at home, with 35% doing most or all of them and 51% saying they used some. 89% of pupils said they would use mindfulness practices again after the programme had ended.
Marina McCully, Head of Education and Training at AWARE NI, said, “The Paws b mindfulness programme that AWARE delivers teaches children simple, everyday techniques and tools they can use both at home and in school. These tools help form a foundation for recognising and managing difficult emotions and improving concentration and focus.
“Early prevention programmes like this can have a really positive impact on a child’s mental health. The earlier children learn to recognise and regulate their emotions, the better chance they have for a happier and healthier future.”
The study analysed the responses of 1039 pupils and 61 teachers from 51 primary schools across all the education authority areas in Northern Ireland.
Developed by the Mindfulness in Schools Project and delivered by AWARE NI, the programme consists of twelve components delivered across six weeks aimed at equipping children with a distinct mindfulness skill they can use when feeling stressed, anxious or worried.
To date, AWARE has delivered Paws b to one-fifth of all primary schools in Northern Ireland, but the charity is keen to broaden this reach and see mindfulness practice embedded in the culture of schools across the country.
To read the full evaluation report, please click here.
To read the Executive Summary, please click here.
If you would like to find out more about booking this programme for your school, please email training@aware-ni.org
The theme for Children's Mental Health Week 2023 is Let's Connect. Connection is vital for our wellbeing, and our survival. When we have healthy connections – to family, friends and others and to ourselves – this can support our mental health and wellbeing.
Meaningful connections are strengthened through quality conversations with one another, so we have put together advice and suggestions for parents, teachers and caregivers on encouraging your children to open up and talk to you about what is going on in their minds.
If we normalise these conversations early in their lives and empower them to know they can lift their moods and solve their problems, then we are equipping them with better knowledge of how to care for their mental health in the future.
We encourage you to download and share them with parents and teachers!
