The Effects of a Temple-Based Self-Compassion Meditation Program for Middle-Aged Women: Focusing on Self-Compassion, Life Satisfaction, and Existential Well-being
Hyunjin Kim
Journal of Meditation based Psychological Counseling December 31, 2024 DOI: 10.12972/mpca.20240012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Middle-aged women |
| Intervention | self-compassion meditation program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Participation in a self-compassion meditation program led to statistically significant increases in mindfulness, self-kindness, and positive affect but not in existential well-being. |
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of a self-compassion meditation program for middle-aged women. The research questions of this study are as follows. First, does the self-compassion meditation program affect the self-compassion of middle-aged women? Second, does the self-compassion meditation program affect the life satisfaction of middle-aged women? Third, does the self-compassion meditation program affect the existential well-being of middle-aged women? To address these questions, a self-compassion meditation program was conducted with middle-aged women, and pre- and post-surveys were conducted using the Self-Compassion Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale, and Existential Well-being Scale. The results were analyzed using frequency analysis, independent samples t-test, and paired samples t-test. The findings of the study are as follows. First, participation in the self-compassion meditation program showed a statistically significant mean difference in mindfulness, a subfactor of self-compassion. Self-kindness showed a statistically significant increase in the mean after participation compared to before participation. Second, participation in the self-compassion meditation program showed a statistically significant mean difference in positive affect, a subfactor of life satisfaction. Third, there was no statistically significant mean difference in existential well-being following participation in the self-compassion meditation program. The significance of this study lies in demonstrating the effects of Buddhist meditation interventions based on temple practices for improving the quality of life of middle-aged women.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |