P3.203: Use of Mindfulness-Based Interventions Among Children with Anxiety and Depression

Background: Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be effective treatments for youth with anxiety and depression. However, little is known about the uptake of these practices. This study examines the extent to which mindfulness-based interventions (i.e., meditation, yoga, and guided imagery or progressive relaxation) are utilized by youth reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression. A secondary aim is to examine whether receipt of counseling/therapy from a mental health professional in the past year impacts the adoption of these practices.

Methods: We examined data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey. We included all children between the ages of 4-17 and tabulated descriptive statistics for socio-demographic characteristics. We then used survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate the receipt of mindfulness-based interventions (i.e., meditation, yoga, and guided imagery or progressive relaxation) among children with symptoms of anxiety and depression per parent report compared to those without, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, highest parental education, and immigration status. We also developed adjusted models to examine the association between mental health counselling (i.e., received counseling/therapy from a mental health professional in the past year) and the receipt of mindfulness-based interventions for the study sample.

Results: 5,880 children were included in the analytic sample, with 7% practicing meditation, 13% practicing yoga, and 3% using guided imagery or progressive relaxation.

In the logistic regression models, meditation practice was higher among children with anxiety symptoms (OR: 3.63, 95% CI: 2.70, 4.88) and depressive symptoms (OR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.76, 2.84), as well as children who received mental health counseling in the past year (OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 2.23, 3.82).

Yoga practice was higher among children with anxiety symptoms (OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.47, 2.31) and depressive symptoms (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.35, 2.06), as well as children who received mental health counseling in the past year (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.41, 2.46).

Guided imagery or progressive relaxation use was higher among children with anxiety symptoms (OR: 3.30, 95% CI: 2.12, 5.14), depressive symptoms (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.27, 2.81), and children who received mental health counseling in the past year (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.58, 3.90).

Conclusion: While children with anxiety and depressive symptoms had higher odds of engaging in mindfulness-based practices than children without such risks, overall uptake remained low. Greater efforts to improve the availability of mindfulness-based interventions, such as through counselling and therapy, should be considered.