Mindfulness Meditation Adherence in a College Sample: Comparison of a 10-Min Versus 20-Min 2-Week Daily Practice
Christopher R. Berghoff, Linnie E. Wheeless, Timothy R. Ritzert, Cody M. Wooley, John P. Forsyth
Mindfulness December 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-017-0717-y (opens in new tab) via Springer Nature
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractTwo weeks of daily mindfulness meditation, whether prescribed for 10 or 20 minutes, led to similar levels of adherence and comparable reductions in stress and increases in mindfulness among young adults. Participants assigned to 20-minute sessions reported larger gains in self-compassion than those assigned to 10-minute sessions, even though both groups meditated on roughly the same number of days and for similar total time. The findings suggest that longer prescribed meditation times may enhance self-compassion without reducing adherence.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 77 |
| Population | Young adults (mean age 20.16; 56 female; diverse ethnic backgrounds) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Dose | 10-min daily meditation, 20-min daily meditation |
| Duration | 2-week intervention |
| Keywords | Mindfulness based interventions Mindfulness meditation Home-based meditation practice Adherence Homework |
| Key finding | Participants prescribed 20-minute daily meditation showed larger increases in self-compassion than those prescribed 10-minute daily meditation, with no difference in adherence or total meditation time between groups. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are efficacious and effective for a variety of mental and physical health problems. Mindfulness meditation is a primary therapeutic strategy employed within MBIs and is hypothesized to increase mindfulness and, in turn, lead to positive outcomes. However, evidence in support of mindfulness meditation practice as a key treatment component in MBIs is mixed, in part because little is known about how prescribed meditation practice times and adherence to home-based meditation practice relate to one another and outcomes. The present study evaluated relations among adherence, meditation practice time, and psychiatric symptoms following two 2-week mindfulness meditation interventions: one that prescribed 10-min daily meditation and another that prescribed 20-min daily meditation. Participants ( N = 77; female = 56, M _ age = 20.16; White = 51.9%; African American = 14.3%; Hispanic = 14.3%; Asian = 10.4%; other = 6.5%; multiethnic = 2.6%) also completed daily diaries to assess adherence. Results indicated no significant group difference in total days meditated or overall time spent meditating. Stress declined and mindfulness increased over the 2 weeks for both groups. Despite no difference in adherence, participants in the 20-min group reported larger increases in self-compassion relative to those in the 10-min group. Implications for enhancing adherence within MBIs are discussed.