A cross-sectional study in northern India compared depression, anxiety, and stress levels between 200 meditation practitioners and 200 non-practitioners, all higher education students. Practitioners, who had at least one year of experience and meditated at least twice weekly, showed significantly lower scores on all three measures: depression (9.50 vs. 12.82), anxiety (10.67 vs. 13.66), and stress (12.76 vs. 15.14). More meditation experience correlated with lower depression, and more frequent weekly practice correlated with lower anxiety. The findings suggest meditation may benefit mental health.
Regular practice of either Vipassana meditation or yoga for six months significantly improved forgiveness and reduced anger in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Vipassana meditation was especially effective at reducing revenge-related tendencies and enhancing self- and other-forgiveness, while yoga had a broader impact on emotional, cognitive, and trait dimensions of forgiveness. The control group showed no significant changes. These mind-body practices offer accessible, non-pharmacological ways to support emotional well-being and may benefit cardiovascular health.
A five-week quasi-experimental study at two nursing colleges in India tested whether mindfulness meditation reduces depression, anxiety, and stress among 84 undergraduate nursing students. The intervention group meditated for 15 minutes twice daily for four weeks; the control group did not. Scores on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42) showed that the intervention group had significantly greater reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression compared to the control group. The findings suggest that incorporating mindfulness meditation into daily routines can help students manage stressful events.