Greater Mental Health Benefits Following Contemplative-Based Social Resilience Training Among Young Adults with Early-Life Adversity
Aaron M. Eisen, Philippe R. Goldin, Jyoti Mishra, Elena Fromer, Lucy Kho, Aric A Prather, Elissa S Epel
medRxiv July 23, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.64898/2026.07.21.26358618 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 321 |
| Population | University students across all ten campuses of the University of California |
| Intervention | Contemplative-based social resilience training program |
| Key findings | Participants with higher early life adversity showed greater improvements following the contemplative-based social resilience training: 3.5-fold larger reductions in mental distress and 2.5-fold larger increases in well-being compared to those with lower ELA. |
Abstract
Abstract Emerging evidence suggests that adults with a history of early life adversity (ELA), while more susceptible to psychopathology, may also be particularly sensitive to the benefits of contemplative practices. In the present study, we examined whether ELA was associated with greater mental health benefits following a contemplative-based social resilience training program, administered as a university elective course across all ten campuses of the University of California ( n = 321; median age = 21 years; 74% female). While significant improvements in mental health were observed for all participants, those with higher ELA exhibited greater reductions in mental distress (3.5-fold larger, p = .007) and greater increases in well-being (2.5-fold larger, p = .010) relative to those with lower ELA. Replication in future studies and further research on the mechanisms underlying this enhanced benefit may improve our understanding of how adults with a history of ELA recover and may ultimately thrive.