Hair cortisol reduction and social integration enhancement after a mindfulness-based intervention in children

IBAR, CAROLINA; BERG, GABRIELA; CARRO, NATALIA; GONZALEZ, DIEGO; LOZADA, MARIANA; D'ADAMO, PAOLA; FABRE, BIBIANA

CHILD CARE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Wiley

Año: 2022

0305-1862

Background: Over recent decades, chronic stress at an early age has become a worrying health problem in children. We seek to evaluate an intervention involving mindfulness-based practices and prosocial activities in 7-8-year-old children. Methods: Stress levels were determined using hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and social integration was measured by means of a sociogram. The program had previously proven to be effective in decreasing salivary cortisol levels and in favouring social integration in children. A total of thirty-five children participated in the study: 18 constituted the intervention group and 17 the wait-list group. In both groups, HCC and social integration were evaluated before and after the intervention conducted throughout an entire school year. Results: The experimental group showed a significant reduction in HCC, as well as significant enhancement of social integration levels, whereas no changes were observed in the wait-list group. Conclusions: This is the first research to show that HCC, a reliable neuroendocrine indicator, decreased as a result of a mindfulness-based program. This successful outcome adds new evidence to previous findings regarding the reduction of chronic stress in children following participation in this program.