An Empirical Study of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness, Mental Health and Cognitive Performance Among Secondary School Students in Vadodara

Abstract

Background: Anxiety, low mood and difficulties with memory, problem solving and decision making are common concerns during adolescence, and school-based psychological approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness are increasingly considered as responses. Evidence from city schools in India, including Vadodara, remains limited.

Objective: To examine whether self-reported engagement with CBT-based and mindfulness-based practices is associated with mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression and emotional regulation difficulty) and cognitive performance (overall performance, attention, memory, problem solving and decision making) among secondary school students.

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 300 students (aged 15–18 years; classes 10–12) from four private schools in Vadodara, Gujarat, selected by purposive sampling (700 students approached; 300 valid responses retained). Structured Likert-scale questionnaires, adapted from established measures of depression, anxiety and perceived stress, were administered in school. Data were analysed in SPSS using descriptive statistics and linear models, with CBT and mindfulness entered together as predictors of each outcome.

Results: CBT significantly predicted lower anxiety (β = −.25, p = .002), depression (β = −.30, p < .001) and emotional regulation difficulty (β = −.22, p = .009). Mindfulness predicted lower anxiety (β = −.16, p = .038) but not depression or emotional regulation difficulty. Both approaches predicted higher overall cognitive performance (CBT β = .19; mindfulness β = .33) and lower memory, problem-solving and decision-making difficulty; neither predicted attention. The models explained between 7.6% and 25.3% of the variance in the significant outcomes (attention: 0.8%).

Conclusion: Higher self-reported use of CBT and mindfulness practices was associated with better mental health and cognitive outcomes, with CBT the more consistent correlate of mental health and mindfulness the stronger correlate of cognitive outcomes. Because the design is cross-sectional and self-reported, the findings indicate association rather than causation; longitudinal and controlled studies are needed.