The role of meditation in coping with stress during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study of undergraduates in India.
Puja Munjal, Neetika Khurana, Manish Saggar, Lalit Kumar
Frontiers in Psychiatry September 24, 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1573407 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | College students aged 18-26 in Delhi, India, during the COVID-19 lockdown |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Measures | Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Stress Mental health Undergraduates Pss-10 Lockdown Covid-19 pandemic Sos meditation |
| Key findings | Students who practiced meditation regularly reported fewer adverse effects of the lockdown on mental and emotional well-being and had lower stress levels than meditation-naive students. Both meditation frequency and session duration were inversely associated with stress. The authors conclude that regular meditation appears to mitigate the negative mental health impact of lockdown, though the design cannot establish causation. |
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted mental health worldwide, particularly among college students. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of regular meditation practice on stress and well-being during the COVID-19 lockdown in college students from Delhi, India.
Methods: Data were collected from April 22 to June 3, 2020. Participants included college students aged 18-26, divided into two groups: those with regular meditation practice and those without prior meditation experience. Stress levels were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Statistical analyses included group comparisons and regression models to examine the relationship between meditation frequency, duration, and stress levels.
Results: Compared to the meditation-naive group, participants in the meditation group reported significantly fewer adverse effects of the lockdown on their mental and emotional well-being. Stress levels were lower in the meditation group, and both the frequency and duration of meditation sessions were inversely associated with stress.
Conclusions: Regular meditation practice appears to mitigate the negative impact of lockdown on mental health, reducing stress and promoting emotional well-being. These findings underscore the potential of meditation as an accessible, effective tool for stress management, particularly in challenging contexts such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- A mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress in university students (the Mindful Student Study): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial The Lancet Public Health December 18, 2017
- Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes With Regular Yoga and Heartfulness Meditation Practice: Results From a Multinational, Cross-sectional Study JMIR Formative Research March 10, 2022
- Yoga and meditation, an essential tool to alleviate stress and enhance immunity to emerging infections: A perspective on the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on students. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health January 19, 2022
and 2 more in the library