Effects of Transcendental Meditation on mental health: a before-after study.
Masud Yunesian, Afshin Aslani, Javad Homayoun Vash, Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH November 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1186/1745-0179-4-25 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 12-week Transcendental Meditation course improved mental health in a young adult Muslim population. Scores on the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) decreased significantly after the course, indicating reduced distress. The improvement was significant across all demographic subgroups and was most pronounced in the areas of somatisation and anxiety. The effect appeared independent of age, sex, and marital status.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Before-after clinical trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adult Muslim population |
| Intervention | Transcendental Meditation |
| Duration | 12-week meditation course |
| Key finding | Transcendental Meditation may improve mental health, particularly somatisation and anxiety, in a young adult Muslim population. |
Abstract
Transcendental Meditation is a mental practice to put the body and mind into a state of relaxation and rest. The method was shown to reduce anxiety and stress in previous reports. This study investigates its potential benefits in enhancing mental health of an adult Muslim population. A before-after clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a 12-week meditation course on mental health of participants who were enrolled into the study by random sampling. 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was administered on two occasions in conjunction with a background data sheet. Mean age of participants was 32.4; they were 70% female and 55% married. GHQ scores improved significantly after the meditation course (p value: < 0.001). The difference was also significant in all subgroups of the population studied. In subclass analysis of the GHQ results, the before-after score improvement was significant only in the areas of somatisation (p value: < 0.001) and anxiety (p value: < 0.001). Transcendental Meditation may improve mental health of young adult population especially in the areas of somatisation and anxiety, and this effect seems to be independent of age, sex and marital status.