Self-compassion, meaning in life, and experiential avoidance explain the relationship between meditation and positive mental health outcomes.
J. R. Yela, A. Crego, M. Gómez-Martínez, Laura Jiménez
Journal of Clinical Psychology January 24, 2020 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22932 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 828 |
| Population | Meditators and nonmeditators |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditation is positively associated with mental health, with self-compassion, meaning in life, and reduced experiential avoidance as mediating mechanisms. |
Abstract
Objective: Despite consistent evidence for the beneficial effects of meditation on mental health, little is known about the mechanisms that make mindfulness meditation effective.
Method: The levels of mental health, self-compassion, presence of meaning in life, and experiential avoidance of meditators (n = 414) and nonmeditators (n = 414) were measured and compared. Bootstrap-based structural equation modeling (SEM) modeling analyses were used to test multiple-step multiple-mediator models.
Results: Meditation was positively associated with mental health, although the regularity of practice was an influential element to be considered. Significant indirect effects of meditation on mental health through self-compassion, meaning in life, and experiential avoidance were found. SEM models were able to account for 58% of the variance in mental health scores.
Conclusions: Self-compassion, presence of meaning in life, and reduced experiential avoidance may be active components of healthy meditation practices. Identifying the mechanisms involved in effective meditation practices has relevant implications for well-being and mental health-promoting interventions.