Meditation training and non-native language training both reduce older adults loneliness in the age-well randomized controlled trial.
Flora Hähnel, Antoine Lutz, Gaël Chételat, Julie Gonneaud, Philipp Kanske, Olga Klimecki
Scientific Reports September 29, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-21058-7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of a three-armed randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 137 |
| Population | Cognitively unimpaired community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older |
| Interventions | Meditation training Non-native language training |
| Duration | 18-month intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Language Loneliness Aged Female |
| Key findings | Both 18-month meditation training and 18-month non-native language training reduced self-reported loneliness from pre- to post-intervention compared with a no-intervention control group, with no group differences in emotional reactions to experimentally induced social exclusion. The authors suggest that regularly sharing activities with the same group of people over a long period, rather than meditation itself, may drive the reduction in loneliness. |
Abstract
Loneliness is a key predictor for mortality and a risk factor for dementia. Meditation training appears to be a promising intervention for loneliness in older adults, but long-term randomized controlled trials with an active control group are scarce. To fill this gap, this secondary analysis of the three-armed clinical randomized controlled Age-Well trial compares the impact of an 18-month meditation training to an 18-month non-native language training, and a passive control group on self-reports of loneliness and post-training reactions to experimentally induced social exclusion in 137 cognitively unimpaired community-dwelling older adults (age ≥ 65 years). Multilevel models revealed that both interventions reduced loneliness from pre- to post-intervention compared to the no-intervention group. No group differences were observed regarding self-reported emotional reactions to social exclusion. Taken together, our results suggest that sharing regular activities with the same group of persons for a long period reduces older adults' loneliness.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 20
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion October 1, 2008
- Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness Meditation Psychological Reports January 6, 2017
- Testing the Efficacy of a Multicomponent, Self-Guided, Smartphone-Based Meditation App: Three-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR Mental Health November 27, 2020
and 15 more in the library