Evaluating the effectiveness of transcendental meditation on mental health and resilience of paramedicine students - a randomised controlled pilot study.
Abbie L Little, Malcolm Boyle
Scientific Reports August 29, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-14898-w (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Paramedicine students |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation |
| Duration | 4-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health Paramedicine Resilience Stress Transcendental meditation Well-being |
| Key findings | 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.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- Review of the Neural Oscillations Underlying Meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience March 26, 2018
- Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on Trait Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine October 9, 2013
- Clinical Nurse Well-being Improved Through Transcendental Meditation: A Multimethod Randomized Controlled Trial. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration 2024
- The Impact of Transcendental Meditation: Reducing Burnout and Enhancing Well-Being in Frontline Healthcare Clinicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing August 1, 2023
- Improving the mental health and well-being of healthcare providers using the transcendental meditation technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: A parallel population study. PLoS One 2023
and 4 more in the library