Impact of meditation-only interventions on university students' resilience: A pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomised actively and passively controlled trials.
Robin Jacob, Lorena Cascant Ortolano, Theresa Dicks, Pascal Kemmerer, Jennifer L Reichel, Viktoria Eggert, Thomas Rigotti, Pavel Dietz
Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.70152 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8,728 |
| Population | University students |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Stress, psychological Universities Resilience, psychological Rct University students Psychological resilience Network meta‐analysis |
| Key findings | Meditation-only interventions showed little to no effect on direct resilience scales (SMD −0.11, 95% CI −0.63 to 0.41), a small improvement in resilience-related mental health outcomes (SMD 0.27, 95% CI 0.20–0.35), and a moderate improvement in resilience factors (SMD 0.54, 95% CI 0.34–0.73). The authors suggest these interventions may improve resilience-related mental health outcomes and resilience factors, but evidence for direct effects on resilience scales remains limited. |
Abstract
Abstract: University students are at elevated risk of psychological distress, underscoring the need for interventions that promote resilience. Psychological resilience refers to the capacity to withstand or recover from stress. This systematic review and meta‐analysis evaluated the effects of meditation‐only interventions on resilience in university students compared with active and passive controls and examined whether effects varied by meditation style, intervention intensity, delivery mode or follow‐up length. A literature search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science identified randomised controlled trials involving university students who participated in meditation‐only interventions and reported resilience‐related outcomes. Pairwise random‐effects models, mixed‐effects meta‐regression and network meta‐analysis were used to estimate standardised mean differences (SMDs) at postintervention. Eighty‐eight studies with 8728 participants were included. The overall effect was −0.11 (95% CI = −0.63 to 0.41, I 2 = 59%) for resilience scales, 0.27 (95% CI = 0.20–0.35, I 2 = 40%) for resilience‐related mental health outcomes and 0.54 (95% CI = 0.34–0.73, I 2 = 76%) for resilience factors. These findings suggest that meditation‐only interventions may improve resilience‐related mental health outcomes and resilience factors, but evidence for direct effects on resilience scales remains limited. Interpretation is constrained by heterogeneity and limited power in moderation analyses.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 41
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- Effects of Brief and Sham Mindfulness Meditation on Mood and Cardiovascular Variables The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine July 28, 2010
- Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness Meditation Psychological Reports January 6, 2017
- Psychological mechanisms driving stress resilience in mindfulness training: A randomized controlled trial. Health Psychology May 23, 2019
- Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines November 15, 2024
and 36 more in the library