Evaluation of Vipassana Meditation Course Effects on Subjective Stress, Well-being, Self-kindness and Mindfulness in a Community Sample: Post-course and 6-month Outcomes.
Roberta A Szekeres, Eleanor H Wertheim
Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress December 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1002/smi.2562 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA standardized, community-based residential Vipassana meditation course reduced subjective stress and increased well-being, self-kindness, and trait mindfulness (present-moment awareness and non-reaction) in a community sample of 122 participants compared to a control group of 50 early enrollers. At six-month follow-up, some gains diminished, especially for stress, but scores remained improved over pre-course levels. Changes in mindfulness from pre-course to follow-up moderately to strongly correlated with changes in stress and well-being, suggesting that mindfulness partly mediates these benefits. The findings support further research into Vipassana courses' effects.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Controlled before-and-after study with a comparison group of early enrollers Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 122 |
| Population | Community sample of adults attending a residential Vipassana meditation course |
| Intervention | Residential Vipassana meditation course |
| Duration | 10-day course with 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Positive psychology Psychological well-being Stress interventions |
| Key finding | The Vipassana course reduced subjective stress and increased well-being, self-kindness, and overall mindfulness, with gains partially sustained at six-month follow-up. |
Abstract
Residential Vipassana meditation courses, which teach mindfulness skills, are widely available globally but under-evaluated. This study examined effects of a standardized, community-based Vipassana course, on subjective stress, well-being, self-kindness and trait mindfulness in a community sample. Participants completed self-report measures of these variables at pre-course and post-course (n = 122), and outcomes were compared to a control group of early enrollers (EEs) (n = 50) who completed measures at parallel time points before course commencement. Six-month follow-up was undertaken in the intervention group (n = 90). Findings, including intention-to-complete analyses, suggested positive effects of the Vipassana course in reducing subjective stress and increasing well-being, self-kindness and overall mindfulness (present-moment awareness and non-reaction). Although some reductions in post-course gains were found at follow-up, particularly in stress, follow-up scores still showed improvements compared to pre-course scores. Mindfulness change scores between pre-course and 6-month follow-up were moderately to highly correlated with outcome variable change scores, consistent with the idea that effects of the Vipassana course on stress and well-being operate, at least partially, through increasing mindfulness. The present research underscores the importance of undertaking further investigations into Vipassana courses' effects and applications.