Autogenic meditation training in a randomized controlled trial: a framework for promoting mental health and attention regulation in children

<p>This research project aims to know the effectiveness of autogenic meditation training on selective and sustained attention, state and trait anxiety and a set of emotional and behavioral symptoms in a Spanish scholar population sample. DESIGN: Multi-arm randomized controlled trial through three parallel conditions: 1. Autogenic meditation training program: AMT; 2. Natural reading training program: NRT (active control); and 3. Waiting list (passive control). MEASURES: Selective and sustained attention (Tot and Con indexes respectively) assessed using the d2 test of attention (Brickenkamp, 1962) in its Spanish adapted version (Seisdedos, 2002; State anxiety and trait anxiety indexes assessed employing the state-trait anxiety inventory for children: STAIC (Spielberger, 1973)in its adapted version to the Spanish population (Seisdedos, 1990). Emotional symptoms (ES), behavioral problems (BP), hyperactivity–inattention (HI), peer relationship problems (PR), total difficulty index (DS) and prosocial behaviors (PB), assessed utilizing the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire: SDQ (Goodman, 1997) for Spanish population (Gómez-Beneyto et al., 2013). HYPOTHESIS: 1) AMT, unlike NRT or passive control, will improve selective and sustained attention. 2) AMT, unlike NRT or passive control, will reduce state and trait anxiety. 3) AMT, unlike NRT or passive control, will minimize emotional symptoms, behavioral problems, hyperactivity-inattention, peer relationship problems and difficulty score, and promote prosocial behavior; and hence will provide a better profile or adjustment of mental health.</p>
<p>Files description </p>
<p><b>Detailed protocol of the procedure with each group.</b> This protocol includes autogenic meditation program and the detailed account of the training workshop, and also natural reading program, and the detailed account of the training workshop.</p>
<p><b>Dataset.</b> This dataset includes pre and post scores of the participants in the d2 test, in the state-trait anxiety inventory for children (STAIC), and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ).</p>