Mindfulness and psychologic well-being: are they related to type of meditation technique practiced?
Dounya Schoormans, Ivan Nyklíček
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine July 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2010.0332 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | Practitioners of mindfulness meditation and transcendental meditation from local meditation centers in southern Netherlands |
| Interventions | Mindfulness meditation Transcendental meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Days per week spent on meditation was the only multivariable predictor of higher mindfulness and lower perceived stress, with no differences between meditation types on mindfulness or well-being. |
Abstract
This study examined whether practitioners of two meditation types differ on self-reported mindfulness skills and psychologic well-being. This was a cross-sectional study comparing two convenience meditation groups drawn from local meditation centers, one group practicing mindfulness meditation (MM), and the other practicing transcendental meditation (TM). The study was conducted at several meditation centers in southern Netherlands. Thirty-five (35) participants practiced MM (69% women) and 20 practiced TM (42% women). Participants completed questionnaires on mindfulness skills (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and two subscales from Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills), psychologic well-being (perceived stress, global mood, and quality of life), and meditation duration and frequency. All self-reported mindfulness facets correlated with almost all measures of well-being across groups, but no differences were evident between meditation types regarding mindfulness or well-being. Days per week spent on meditation was the only multivariable predictor of both higher mindfulness and lower perceived stress. The results suggest that self-reported mindfulness and psychologic well-being may be associated with meditation frequency rather than any potential differences when comparing MM and TM in this study. Note that substantial differences between MM and TM groups were present on basic demographics, which were controlled statistically.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Experienced Mindfulness Meditators Exhibit Higher Parietal-Occipital EEG Gamma Activity during NREM Sleep PLoS One August 28, 2013
- Issues and Perspectives in Meditation Research: In Search for a Definition Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Spiritual Fitness: A New Dimension in Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Journal of Alzheimer's Disease February 2, 2021
- 3-Doors Compassion Project: Examining the longitudinal effects of a nine-month Tibetan mind-body meditation program Current Psychology September 28, 2021
- Examining Predictors of Psychological Well-being among University Students: A Descriptive Comparative Study across Two Samples Preprints.org December 23, 2022
and 10 more in the library
Cites 15
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report Assessment September 1, 2004
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
and 10 more in the library