Does Loving-Kindness Meditation Reduce Anxiety? Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Although loving-kindness meditation (LKM) has shown some promise as a psychological intervention, little is known about the effectiveness of LKM for reducing one of the most prevalent mental health problems: anxiety. To build knowledge in this area, we conducted a randomized controlled trial, assign...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mindfulness 2017-06, Vol.8 (3), p.565-571
Main Authors: Weibel, David T., McClintock, Andrew S., Anderson, Timothy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Child and School Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
College students
Intervention
Meditation
Mindfulness
Original Paper
Pediatrics
Psychology
Public Health
Self compassion
Social Sciences
Social workers
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Summary:Although loving-kindness meditation (LKM) has shown some promise as a psychological intervention, little is known about the effectiveness of LKM for reducing one of the most prevalent mental health problems: anxiety. To build knowledge in this area, we conducted a randomized controlled trial, assigning non-clinical undergraduates to either a four-session, group-based LKM intervention ( n =  38) or a waitlist control ( n  = 33). Self-reported anxiety, compassionate love, and self-compassion were assessed at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 8-week follow-up. Relative to control participants, participants in the LKM intervention reported higher compassionate love and self-compassion at posttreatment and higher self-kindness (a component of self-compassion) at follow-up. Anxiety ratings did not significantly differ between conditions at posttreatment or follow-up. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
ISSN:1868-8527
1868-8535
DOI:10.1007/s12671-016-0630-9