Loving-Kindness Meditation Improves Relationship Negativity and Psychological Well-Being: A Pilot Study
Bert N. Uchino, K. Bowen, Robert G. Kent de Grey, Timothy W. Smith, Brian R. W. Baucom, K. C. Light, S. Ray
January 5, 2016 DOI: 10.4236/psych.2016.71002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 9 |
| Population | 9 individuals participating in a loving-kindness meditation intervention |
| Intervention | Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) |
| Duration | 6-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Participants in a 6-week loving-kindness meditation program showed increases in perceived social support and decreases in depression, consistent with prior work. They also showed decreases in social negativity, which was more closely linked to changes in depression than social support was. The authors suggest LKM is feasible for increasing relationship positivity, decreasing relationship negativity, and enhancing psychological well-being. |
Abstract
Most interventions on relationships and health have focused on altering positive aspects of relationship such as social support. Given the separability of positive and negative aspects of relationships it is less clear if such interventions can also influence relationship negativity. This pilot study of 9 individuals tested the influence of a novel 6-week loving-kindness meditation (LKM) intervention on changes over time in social support, social negativity, depression, and life satisfaction. Consistent with past work, LKM participants showed increases in perceived support and decreases in depression. Extending prior work, LKM participants also showed decreases in social negativity, which was more closely linked to changes in depression compared to social support. These data suggest the feasibility of using LKM to increase relationship positivity, decrease relationship negativity, and enhance psychological well-being.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Assessing the effect of Loving-Kindness Meditation on pain and social well-being using a randomized controlled trial design. PLoS One September 16, 2026
- Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Mobile Intervention for Improving Perinatal Mental Health and Reducing Depression During Pregnancy: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research October 2, 2025
- The effects of loving-kindness and compassion meditation on life satisfaction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being August 1, 2022
- An intervention study examining the effectiveness of loving kindness meditation in reducing depressive symptoms: Compassionate coping as a mediator? Advances in Health and Behavior 2022
Cites 5
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- Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion October 1, 2008
- Mindfulness, by any other name…: trials and tribulations of sati in western psychology and science Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Meditation and Health: The Search for Mechanisms of Action Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2013
- Differential effects of mindful breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and loving-kindness meditation on decentering and negative reactions to repetitive thoughts. Behaviour Research and Therapy October 1, 2010