Preventing Depression through Selflessness: Effects and Mechanisms of Attentional vs. Deconstructive Meditation in a Three–Arm Randomized Controlled Trial
Mindfulness March 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-026-02817-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 147 |
| Population | Adult participants |
| Interventions | Focused-attention meditation Self-inquiry meditation |
| Topics | Meditation Depression |
| Keywords | Dysfunctional family Cognition Randomized controlled trial Social connectedness Affect linguistics Clinical psychology Psychotherapist Depression economics Cognitive therapy Moderated mediation Exploratory research |
| Key findings | Both focused-attention and self-inquiry meditation reduced depressive symptoms and identity threat compared to a wait-list control, with focused-attention also reducing dysfunctional attitudes more than self-inquiry, and the effects were mediated by cognitive decentering for focused-attention and by connectedness for self-inquiry. |
Abstract
Abstract Objectives This randomized controlled trial examined mechanisms underlying meditation-induced changes in self-related processes and compared attentional and deconstructive meditation. The objectives were to (1) examine whether components of selflessness mediate the effects of meditation on dysfunctional attitudes, identity threat, and depressive symptoms, and (2) compare the effects and mechanisms of attentional and deconstructive meditation.
Method: Participants ( n = 147) were randomly assigned to focused-attention meditation (FA), self-inquiry meditation (SI), and wait-list control (WL). Pre- and post-intervention self-reports assessed dysfunctional attitudes, identity threat, and depressive symptoms. Mediators included connectedness to humanity, connectedness to nature, and cognitive decentering, reflecting components of selflessness.
Results: Significant time × condition interactions were observed for all outcome variables. Both FA and SI led to greater reductions in depressive symptoms and identity threat compared to WL, with no significant differences between FA and SI. FA produced significantly greater reductions in dysfunctional attitudes than both SI and WL. Both active conditions showed greater increases in cognitive decentering than WL. Time × condition interactions for connectedness to humanity and nature were not significant; however, exploratory within-group analyses indicated significant pre-post increases only in the SI condition. Mediation analyses revealed within-condition and exploratory mechanisms: FA effects were primarily mediated by cognitive decentering, whereas SI effects on identity threat were mediated by changes in connectedness.
Conclusions: Attentional and deconstructive meditation practices yield comparable benefits for depression-related outcomes but operate through partially distinct mechanisms. Cognitive decentering played a central mechanism in attentional meditation while deconstructive practice showed exploratory associations with connectedness, warranting cautious interpretation. This study is not preregistered.