Exploring the Zen meditation experiences of patients with generalized anxiety disorder: a focus-group approach.
Chueh-Fen Lu, Lorraine Nancy Smith, Chen-Huei Gau
The journal of nursing research : JNR March 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1097/jnr.0b013e3182466e83 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Adult patients with generalized anxiety disorder in Taiwan |
| Intervention | Zen meditation program |
| Duration | Six-session focus groups (duration of each session not stated) |
| Topics | Anxiety Buddhism Meditation |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Zen meditation practice among patients with GAD in Taiwan is a process involving struggling to reach calm, signs of improvement, and individual variation, shaped by participants' sense of being (dasein). |
Abstract
Most of the many studies on the efficacy of meditation on anxiety disorders over the past half century have been quantitatively studied and lacked consensus. Studies into the experiences of meditation practitioners are lacking. Taiwan has a high prevalence of generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), and Zen meditation is popular. This study provides a deeper understanding of Zen meditation practice experience among patients with GAD in Taiwan. The study site was a psychiatric outpatient department in a general hospital in Taiwan. Two groups of adult patients with GAD (n = 9) and without any kind of meditation experience (n = 12) enrolled in and attended a Zen meditation program. Heidegger's phenomenology was the core framework used to guide data interpretation. Researchers used six-session focus groups, diaries, and field notes to collect data. To boost trustworthiness, researchers applied investigator triangulation, data triangulation, prolonged engagement, persistent observation, and group debriefing (feedback). A major theme, "The process of Zen meditation," emerged. It was underpinned by the three categories: "struggling to reach a state of calm," "signs of improvement," and "an individual process." Signs of improvement included "finding a personal way to enter a state of calm," "changing the sense of time," and "adjusting Zen meditation practice goals." The there-being state (dasein) of participants shaped their understanding of Zen meditation practice. Findings revealed the diverse "phenomena-featuring process" aspect of Zen meditation practice. Findings provide a better understanding of essential elements of Zen meditation complementing quantitative studies and may be used by professionals who intend to apply Zen meditation as an alternative therapy for patients with GAD.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... | 2017 | Qualitative study with mixed-methods | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- Does Mindfulness Meditation Improve Anxiety and Mood Symptoms? A Review of the Controlled Research The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry April 1, 2007
- An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care BMC Psychiatry April 7, 2006
- Zen Meditation: An Integration of Current Evidence The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Randomized trial of a meditation-based stress reduction program and cognitive behavior therapy in generalized social anxiety disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy May 3, 2007
- Systematic review of the efficacy of meditation techniques as treatments for medical illness. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine October 2006
and 4 more in the library