Evaluation of Vipassana Meditation Course Effects on Subjective Stress, Well-being, Self-kindness and Mindfulness in a Community Sample: Post-course and 6-month Outcomes.
Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress December 1, 2015 Roberta A Szekeres, Eleanor H Wertheim
A standardized, community-based residential Vipassana meditation course reduced subjective stress and increased well-being, self-kindness, and trait mindfulness (present-moment awareness and non-reaction) in a community sample of 122 participants compared to a control group of 50 early enrollers. At six-month follow-up, some gains diminished, especially for stress, but scores remained improved over pre-course levels. Changes in mindfulness from pre-course to follow-up moderately to strongly correlated with changes in stress and well-being, suggesting that mindfulness partly mediates these benefits. The findings support further research into Vipassana courses' effects.