Enhanced happiness and stress alleviation upon insight meditation retreat: mindfulness, a part of traditional Buddhist meditation
Mental Health, Religion & Culture August 8, 2016 DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2016.1207618 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental with control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 656 |
| Population | Thai adults participating in a meditation retreat |
| Intervention | Traditional insight meditation retreat |
| Duration | 7-day retreat |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | The meditation retreat increased happiness (effect size .379) and reduced perceived stress (effect size −.428), while the control group showed negligible changes (−.045 and −.003), indicating the retreat's effectiveness. |
Abstract
This research aims to examine how traditional insight meditation in Thailand is trained and to investigate the impact of this practice on happiness and perceived stress. The fuller meaning of mindfulness and how to interweave mindfulness in daily practice is discussed. The intervention was a seven-day traditional insight meditation retreat in Thailand. The final sample included 656 participants, n = 330 and 326 in experimental group and control group, respectively. Validated versions of happiness and perceived stress scales for Thai people were used. The magnitude of happiness and stress changes following the intervention, determined by effect sizes were used as a benchmark for interpreting the health status change between baseline and post-test. The effect sizes for happiness and perceived stress were .379 and −.428 in the meditation group, which is much greater, compared to the effect sizes of −.045 and −.003, respectively, in the control group.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEG Alpha Blocking Correlated with Perception of Inner Light During Zen Meditation Zen-Buddhist practitioners who had been practicing meditation for years | 2003 | Experimental study | |
| Zen meditation and ABC relaxation theory: An exploration of relaxation states, beliefs, dispositions, and motivations Experienced Zen meditators and college students | 2001 | Controlled experimental study | n = 83 |
| Exploring Emptiness and its Effects on Non-attachment, Mystical Experiences, and Psycho-spiritual Wellbeing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Advanced Meditators. Advanced Buddhist meditators | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental design with qualitative analysis | n = 25 |
| Ready to help, no matter what you did: Responsibility attribution does not influence compassion in expert Buddhist practitioners. Expert Buddhist practitioners and trained novices | 2024 | Experimental study | |
| ZEN MEDITATION AND TIME-EXPERIENCE | 1989 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Nature-based mindfulness program for parents and caregivers: a mixed-methods study Frontiers in Psychology October 15, 2026
- Effectiveness of Deconstructive Meditative Practices in Improving Mental Health and Well-being: A Systematic Review Mindfulness March 27, 2026
- Effects of Buddhist Interventions in Their Original Context: A Meta-analysis Mindfulness March 25, 2026
Cites 16
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
and 11 more in the library