Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Meditation Practitioners versus Non Meditation Practitioners: A Cross-sectional Study

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Introduction: Recent rapid technological advancements and societal changes have dramatically transformed modern life, leading to a significant increase in mental health concerns. Meditation, an ancient practice, has gained considerable attention in recent years for its psychological and neurological benefits. Aim: To compare levels of depression, anxiety and stress between Meditation Practitioners (MPs) and Non meditation Practitioners (NMPs) and to examine the relationship between different parameters of meditation practice and levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Humanities and Liberal Arts, DIT University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, from March 2024 to November 2024. Each participant was assessed for depression, anxiety and stress using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) scale. Various aspects of meditation practice were evaluated using a socio-demographic data sheet. Participants were higher education students residing in the northern region of India. Individuals with a minimum of one year of experience in any established meditation practice and who practiced meditation at least twice a week were classified as MPs. After applying the criteria, a total of 400 participants were included, with 200 MPs (Meditation group) and 200 NMPs (Non meditation group). Pearson’s correlation, independent t-tests and regression analyses were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29.0. Results: The mean age of MPs was 21.80±4.4 years, while that of NMPs was 22.30±3.6 years. MPs demonstrated significantly lower levels of depression (MP=9.50±7.8; NMP=12.82±9.4; p<0.001), anxiety (MP=10.67±7.0; NMP=13.66±9.2; p<0.001), stress (MP=12.76±7.4; NMP=15.14±8.2; p<0.01) and total DASS scores (MP=32.92±19.5; NMP=41.62±24.0; p<0.001). Meditation experience showed a negative correlation with depression scores (r=-0.151; p<0.05), while frequency of weekly meditation practice demonstrated negative correlations with anxiety (r=-0.224; p<0.01). The total DASS scores were (r=-0.151; p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that meditation serves as an effective intervention strategy for improving mental health.