Self-compassion, meaning in life, and experiential avoidance explain the relationship between meditation and positive mental health outcomes.

Meditation is positively associated with better mental health, and the regularity of practice matters. Self-compassion, a sense of meaning in life, and reduced experiential avoidance appear to be active components that help explain how meditation improves mental health. These three factors together accounted for 58% of the variance in mental health scores among meditators and nonmeditators.

Study at a glance

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.