Eight-week meditation course linked with lower perceived stress in health professionals

Research details

The trial included 58 health professionals randomly assigned to meditation training or a waiting-list group.

After eight weeks, the meditation group reported lower perceived stress and better mental health than the waiting-list group.

The program required two hours of weekly training and focused specifically on nonsectarian passage meditation.

The reduction in perceived stress remained substantial at the 19-week follow-up.

More consistent practice was associated with greater stress reduction, but this does not prove that practice amount directly caused the difference.

Teaser

A randomized study found that health professionals who took part in an eight-week meditation program reported less stress and better mental health than those waiting to receive training.

Plain Summary

A 2006 randomized controlled trial examined whether an eight-week meditation course could support wellbeing among health professionals. The study included 58 people. Twenty-seven were assigned to take part in a nonsectarian passage-meditation program, while 31 were placed on a waiting list and did not receive the training during the study period.

The program involved two hours of weekly training. Compared with the waiting-list group, those assigned to meditation showed lower perceived stress and better mental health. “Perceived stress” means how stressful people felt their lives and circumstances were, rather than a direct measurement of every source of stress around them.

The researchers also assessed burnout and psychological wellbeing. The reported beneficial effects were clearest for perceived stress and mental health; the available study summary does not provide enough detail to say that the program improved every outcome measured.

The study included a follow-up 19 weeks later. The improvement in perceived stress remained substantial at that point, suggesting that the difference was still present after the main eight-week training period. People who followed the meditation practices more consistently also tended to report greater reductions in stress. This is an association within the study: it does not by itself prove that practicing more was the direct reason for the larger reduction.

Because participants were assigned to groups at random, the study design provides stronger evidence than a simple survey or comparison of people who already chose to meditate. However, it was a relatively small study, involving health professionals only. Its findings therefore do not establish that every form of meditation will have the same effects, or that the results will apply equally to everyone.

The research focused specifically on passage meditation, a nonsectarian practice taught in the study. In everyday terms, the findings suggest that this structured eight-week program was followed by lower reported stress and better mental health among the participating health professionals, with the stress difference still evident at follow-up.

Practical Takeaway

This study suggests that an eight-week, nonsectarian passage-meditation program may help health professionals feel less stressed and report better mental health. The stress improvement was still substantial 19 weeks later. The results are encouraging, but they came from a small group of health professionals and from one specific meditation program. They should not be taken as proof that every type of meditation works in the same way or that meditation guarantees better wellbeing. The finding about more regular practice and greater stress reduction was an association, not definite proof of cause.