Does mindfulness meditation contribute to health? Outcome evaluation of a German sample.
Marcus Majumdar, Paul Grossman, Barbara Dietz-Waschkowski, Susanne Kersig, Harald Walach
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) December 2002 DOI: 10.1089/10755530260511720 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal pretest-posttest with 3-month follow-up Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | German adults with chronic physical, psychological, or psychosomatic illnesses |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The program produced high adherence and satisfaction, with effective and lasting reductions in symptoms (especially psychological distress) and improvements in well-being and quality of life, showing moderate-to-large effect sizes and positive complementary effects with psychotherapy. |
Abstract
This exploratory study is the first systematic outcome evaluation to examine the effects of an 8-week meditation-based program in mindfulness in a German sample. Twenty-one (21) participants with chronic physical, psychologic, or psychosomatic illnesses were examined in a longitudinal pretest and post-treatment design with a 3-month follow-up. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. Emotional and general physical well-being, sense of coherence, overall psychologic distress, and satisfaction with life were measured with standardized instruments. Overall, the interventions led to high levels of adherence to the meditation practice and satisfaction with the benefits of the course, as well as effective and lasting reductions of symptoms (especially in psychologic distress, well-being, and quality of life). Changes were of moderate-to-large effect sizes. Positive complementary effects with psychotherapy were also found. These findings warrant controlled studies to evaluate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction as an intervention for chronic physical and psychosomatic disorders in Germany.