A Randomized Trial of 21 Days of Loving Kindness Meditation for Stress Reduction and Emotional Well-being Within an Online Health Community for Patients, Family, and Friends Experiencing a Cancer Health Journey.
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine February 1, 2022 Susan Telke, Brent Leininger, Linda Hanson et al.
A randomized controlled trial compared immediate versus deferred Loving Kindness Meditation (LKM) over 21 days in an online health community for people facing cancer. Participants who started LKM immediately showed medium-sized improvements in stress, self-compassion, and social connectedness relative to those who waited. Larger improvements in stress and self-compassion occurred with more frequent practice. The study had differential retention and relied on self-reported engagement, which may bias results.