Skip to main content Skip to search
Does Loving-Kindness Meditation Reduce Anxiety? Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial
Mindfulness
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: Nov 30, 2015
Sources ID: 51211
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
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 (nā€‰=ā€‰38) or a waitlist control (nā€‰=ā€‰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.