Evaluating the effectiveness of transcendental meditation on mental health and resilience of paramedicine students - a randomised controlled pilot study.
Scientific Reports August 29, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-14898-w (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractParamedicine students who practiced Transcendental Meditation (TM) for 4 weeks showed reduced stress, depression, and fatigue, along with increased mental clarity and trait resilience, compared to a control group. In a pilot randomized controlled trial with 10 participants, those in the TM group had significantly higher mental clarity and resilience, and lower stress and depression, with large effect sizes. This is the first international study to examine TM's effect on paramedicine students' well-being and resilience.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Paramedicine students |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation |
| Duration | 4-week intervention |
| Keywords | Mental health Paramedicine Resilience Stress Transcendental meditation |
| Key finding | Transcendental Meditation reduced stress, depression, and fatigue, and increased mental clarity and trait resilience in paramedicine students compared to a control group. |
Abstract
Paramedics worldwide have a higher prevalence of PTSD, anxiety, and depression than the general population. Paramedicine students predominately enter the profession without preventative techniques to manage stress, depression and fatigue. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on the well-being and resilience of paramedicine students. A pilot randomised control trial (RCT) spanning 4 weeks assessed the efficacy of TM on paramedicine students (n = 5) compared to a control group (n = 5). A set of questionnaires were distributed pre- and post-intervention to determine the effect of TM. Post-intervention, TM participants had significantly higher results in mental clarity (t = 3.347, p = 0.010), trait resilience (t = 2.630, p = 0.030), lower stress (t=-3.667, p = 0.008), and less depression, (t=-2.617, p = 0.035) with large effect sizes, as well as less fatigue (Z=-2.060, p = 0.039) than the control group. A significant negative relationship between stress and trait resilience was found. This is the first international study to examine the effect of TM on the well-being and resilience of paramedicine students. The findings suggest that students who undertook TM had reduced levels of stress, depression, fatigue, and increased mental clarity and trait resilience post TM intervention compared to the control group.This trial was retrospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), ACTRN12625000240448 on 03/04/2025. Available at https//www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx? id=389,147&isReview=true.