The effects of mindfulness training on suicide ideation among left-behind children in China: A randomized controlled trial

Background The population of left-behind children is growing rapidly in China in recent years. Without parents' company, left-behind children may develop severe emotional problems, which can trigger extreme behaviours such as self-harm and suicide. Previous literature suggests that mindfulness-based intervention could effectively alleviate a variety of sufferings such as anxiety and suicide ideation. The current study sought to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention on suicide ideation among left-behind children in China. Methods This study investigated the effects of an 8-week mindfulness training programme on suicide ideation of left-behind children in China. Forty-nine left-behind children completed a pretest and posttest on mindfulness level, social anxiety, self-esteem, and suicide ideation, with 21 in the mindfulness training group and 28 in the waitlist control group. Results Adjusting for pretest differences analyses of covariance found that, compared with waitlist control group, the mindfulness training group showed a significant improvement in mindfulness level and decreases in social anxiety and suicide ideation after the 8-week mindfulness training. Conclusion The findings from this study support that the use of mindfulness-based intervention can effectively reduce the suicide ideation and social anxiety of left-behind children in China.