Improving Emotional and Social Development in Preschool Children: Exploring the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Mandala Intervention in Social Work Practice in Macao

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to children's well-being. Mindfulness mandalas, which mobilise attention to the present moment and emphasise the cultivation of here-and-now awareness, have proven effective in adjusting attention and emotions. However, research on the effects of mindfulness-based mandala intervention for children in social work practice, particularly in China, remains inadequate. Using mixed methods and adopting a randomised controlled trial, this study is aimed at exploring the effects of the mindful mandala intervention on improving children's attention and social–emotional competencies. This study involved 16 preschool children in Macao, China, with eight children randomly assigned to the experimental group and eight to the control group. Participants in the experimental group received 8 weeks of mindfulness-based mandala painting intervention, while participants in the control group were treated as usual. The findings revealed that the intervention improved children's attention and social–emotional outcomes across five themes in the experimental group: attention enhancement, emotion awareness, emotion validation, emotion regulation and identifying interrelationships. This study highlights the effects of the mindful mandala intervention in promoting attention and social–emotional development among preschool children. It supports social workers and other mental health professionals in collaborating proactively with educators and caregivers using this technique to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on children.