When Mindfulness has Side Effects: The Case of Prisoners Who Perceive Crimes Perpetrated as Not Very Severe.
Francesca Danioni, Francesca Giorgia Paleari, Daniel Lumera, Cristina Franchini, Camillo Regalia
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology June 28, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/0306624X251345941 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 49 |
| Population | Prison inmates in Italy |
| Intervention | Mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Longitudinal study Prison inmates Relational competence Positive wellbeing Reduced wellbeing Decreased wellbeing Intervention effectiveness: beneficial Unexpectedly reduce wellbeing Effectively support Refine mindfulness interventions |
| Key findings | Mindfulness predicted a decrease in wellbeing and relational competence over time for inmates who perceived their crime as less severe. |
Abstract
The benefits of mindfulness for general and at-risk populations have been documented. The aim of the present study was to consider how mindfulness affects prison inmates' wellbeing and relational competence and to investigate whether this relation varied as a function of their perceptions of the severity of the crime committed and the length of their punishment. Forty nine prison inmates (Mean age = 49.69 years, SD = 10.47) located in two prisons in Italy took part in a longitudinal study where they were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire. Results demonstrated that mindfulness predicted a decrease in both wellbeing and relational competence over time but only for those inmates who perceived the crime committed as less severe. No statistically significant moderating effect of the length of the punishment emerged. The results are discussed considering the conditions in which mindfulness may be a risk factor, having therefore undesirable side effects, for inmates.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- On some definitions of mindfulness Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- The Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory: Extensions, Applications, and Challenges at the Attention–Appraisal–Emotion Interface Psychological Inquiry October 2, 2015
- The relationship between self-forgiveness and psychological wellbeing in prison inmates: The mediating role of mindfulness. Criminal behaviour and mental health : CBMH September 2, 2022
and 5 more in the library