Barriers and Facilitators to Meditation: Empirical Research Qualitative

Barriers to meditation in the general population include practical challenges like scheduling difficulties and mental health related challenges such as a busy mind, stress, and anxiety. Key facilitators are manageable goal setting, such as short and regular practice, and mindset changes like a better understanding of meditation goals. Most of the 191 participants did not report significant barriers. The findings can inform public health strategies to integrate meditation into daily life, though the predominantly female sample with prior meditation experience limits generalizability.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the barriers and facilitators to meditation in the general population. This research is significant because understanding these factors can inform the design of more effective public mental health interventions and support the integration of meditation into daily life. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on the qualitative component of wider survey responses. Participants were recruited from MeditationHQ, which offers weekly group meditation sessions on beaches around Australia. Participants were invited to join the OMM: One Million Meditations Challenge and the University Meditation Challenge to meditate regularly over a month. Data was obtained from the completion of surveys before and after the challenge to capture their meditation experiences. Data analysis of open-ended questions followed Braun and Clarke's Thematic Analysis framework, involving familiarisation with the data, coding responses, generating themes, defining themes, and presenting findings. Findings were validated with a second researcher. In total 191 participants completed the survey. Most participants did not report significant barriers to meditation. For those who did, practical challenges (e.g., scheduling difficulties) and mental health related challenges (e.g., busy mind, stress, and anxiety) were the most common. Key facilitators included manageable goal setting (e.g., engaging in short and regular practice) and mindset changes (e.g., better understanding of meditation goals). Meditation is a promising intervention that can be integrated into public health strategies to support mental health. This study offers practical insights into its implementation by identifying key barriers and facilitators. Practical implications include informing meditation toolkits that can educate and encourage the public to start a regular meditation routine, by encouraging brief and consistent practice and clarifying misconceptions about the goals of meditation. Limitations include a participant population that was predominantly female with prior meditation experience, which may reduce the generalisability of the findings. Future studies should target more diverse participants and consider the long-term outcomes of engaging with the strategies identified in this study. This manuscript adheres to the standards for reporting qualitative research. The findings from this study can inform the development of public health education tools aimed at encouraging regular meditation practice among the general population.