Meditation experience is associated with lower levels of repetitive negative thinking: The key role of self-compassion
Marco Schlosser, Rebecca L. Jones, Harriet Demnitz-King, N. Marchant
Current Psychology July 10, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-00839-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,281 |
| Population | Regular meditators with a wide range of meditation experience (mean age 44.7 years, SD 13.9, 53.7% female) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Longer meditation experience was associated with lower repetitive negative thinking and higher self-compassion and mindfulness. Meditation experience was associated with lower RNT indirectly through self-compassion, but not through mindfulness. The authors argue this offers preliminary support for longer-term meditation as a means of reducing RNT and identify self-compassion as a promising clinical treatment target. |
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between meditation experience and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) in regular meditators with a wide range of experience, and to examine the extent to which self-compassion and mindfulness mediate this relationship. RNT is a transdiagnostic process that is implicated in the development and maintenance of several mental health disorders. Converging evidence suggests that meditation practice is associated with improved mental health and may reduce levels of RNT. Increased levels of self-compassion and mindfulness have been associated with decreased levels of RNT and proposed as theoretically consistent mediators by which meditation practice exerts its beneficial effects; however, they are seldom considered in combination. In a cross-sectional design, 1281 meditators (mean age = 44.7 years, SD = 13.9, 53.7% female) completed questionnaires about meditation experience, RNT, self-compassion, and mindfulness. Linear regression and generalised structural equation models were used to examine the data. Longer duration of meditation experience was associated with lower levels of RNT and higher levels of self-compassion and mindfulness. Meditation experience was associated with RNT indirectly through self-compassion, but not through mindfulness. The results offer preliminary support for longer-term meditation as a potential means for reducing the maladaptive process of RNT. Clinically, self-compassion could be identified as a promising treatment target for interventions.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Development and Initial Validation of the State Four Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Assessment March 31, 2025
- Measuring psychological mechanisms in meditation practice: Using a phenomenologically grounded classification system to develop theory-based composite scores April 13, 2021
- The safety of meditation Advances in Psychological Science September 7, 2022
- A longitudinal study of loving-kindness compassion, mindfulness, and psychological well-being: Cross-cultural insights from Vietnamese and American employees. Acta Psychologica March 26, 2026
- Daily Mindfulness Components and State Affect: A Day Reconstruction Study Mindfulness April 1, 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 23
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
and 18 more in the library