Meditation as an adjunct to a happiness enhancement program.
W P Smith, W C Compton, W B West
Journal of Clinical Psychology March 1, 1995 DOI: 10.1002/1097-4679(199503)51:2<269::aid-jclp2270510217>3.0.co;2-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Meditation Personal Happiness Enhancement Program (PHEP) |
| Measures | Happiness Measure, Psychap Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Treatment outcome Combined modality therapy Happiness Personality inventory Adolescent Adult Female Relaxation therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy |
| Key findings | Adding a meditation exercise to Fordyce's Personal Happiness Enhancement Program produced significantly greater improvement on happiness, depression, and anxiety measures than the program alone or no instruction. The program alone also improved most measures relative to a control group, except state anxiety. |
Abstract
This study investigated the impact that meditation has on Fordyce's (1977, 1983) Personal Happiness Enhancement Program (PHEP). Experimental subjects were divided into two groups, both of which received instruction on the PHEP. Subjects in one experimental group were taught a meditation exercise in addition to the PHEP. A control group received no instruction. The Happiness Measure, Psychap Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and State-Trait Anxiety Scale were dependent measures. The three (groups) x two (pre-post) mixed ANOVAs with Student Newman-Keuls found that the meditation plus PHEP group significantly improved on all dependent measures over both the PHEP only group and the control group. The PHEP only group improved significantly over the control group on all measures except state anxiety.
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
Cited by 10
- Meditation's impact on chronic illness. Holistic Nursing Practice 2003
- An analysis of recent meditation research and suggestions for future directions. The Humanistic Psychologist 2003
- Using Meditation in Addiction Counseling Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling October 1, 2011
- The impact of yoga on military personnel with post traumatic stress disorder 2011
- An exploratory study of mindfulness meditation as a healing tool with abused adolescents at the Durban Child Care Centre 2017
and 5 more in the library