Effects of Transcendental Meditation on mental health: a before-after study
2008

Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Mental Health

Sample size: 80 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Yunesian Masud, Aslani Afshin, Vash Javad Homayoun, Yazdi Abbas Bagheri

Primary Institution: University of Tehran

Hypothesis

Does a 12-week course of Transcendental Meditation improve mental health in adults?

Conclusion

Transcendental Meditation may improve mental health, particularly in reducing anxiety and somatisation.

Supporting Evidence

  • GHQ scores improved significantly after the meditation course.
  • The improvement was significant in the areas of somatisation and anxiety.
  • Overall mental distress prevalence decreased from 38.8% to 26.3%.

Takeaway

Doing Transcendental Meditation can help people feel less anxious and better overall.

Methodology

A before-after clinical trial with a 12-week meditation course and assessments using the GHQ-28 questionnaire.

Potential Biases

Participants may have joined the clubs to improve mental health, potentially skewing results.

Limitations

Participants were from yoga clubs, which may not represent the general population, and there was no control group.

Participant Demographics

Participants were aged 20 to 55, 70% female, and 55% married.

Statistical Information

P-Value

< 0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1745-0179-4-25

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