EVALUATION OF THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY LEVELS (STAIC) IN SCHOOLCHILDREN FROM 10 TO 12 YEARS OLD AFTER A MINDFULNESS PROGRAM IN THE CLASSROOMS

In this study, we investigated the effects on the (State and Trait) Anxiety levels after a Mindfulness program executed for 8 weeks with primary students during their school period. The initial sample consisted of a total of 692 students. After the evaluation of the questionnaires, a total of 43 participants were rejected because of missing items or duplicated answers. The final sample was constituted by a total of 649 schoolchildren from different populations in Andalucía and Castilla La Mancha (Spain). The control group was constituted with the students (60 students) whose parents did not authorize their participation in the program but they did authorize the evaluation questionnaires.

For the study, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children was used (STAIC, Spielberger, 1970,1973,1989; Seisdedos, 1990) and the Spanish version adapted by TEA was applied (Spielberg, 1990). The questionnaire consists of two scales of twenty items each, with which the child can express how they feel at a given time (State) or how they feel in general (Trait).

The questionnaires were administered before the Mindfulness program, at the end of the program and one month after its completion.
The results show that before the intervention, no significant differences were found between the intervention group and the control group. However, after participating in the Mindfulness program, significant differences were found both after the intervention and in the follow-up.

In addition, in the intervention group, there is a significant reduction in both anxiety-state and trait-anxiety. Even one month after concluding the program, the trait-anxiety was still significantly reduced. In the control group, on the other hand, there is a significant increase in both cases, both at the end of the program and one month later.