Effect of Mindfulness meditation on depression, anxiety and stress- A Mixed method longitudinal study

Abstract

Introduction: Depression, Anxiety, and stress are frequently seen as significant contributors to diseases such as cardiovascular and immunological diseases. Meditation is one of the self-help tools that are effective in treating these problems. Mindfulness meditation is one of the techniques that is used in psychotherapeutic interventions for these conditions. This study was done to find the effect of mindfulness meditation on depression, anxiety, and stress.

Methodology:A Mixed method longitudinal study was done in a Yoga Teaching centre (Sri Ramakrishna Yogashramam) in the Kanchipuram district. All 25 participants who were enrolled in the yoga classes during February- March 2021 were included in the study. DASS 21 scale was used and administered before and after the completion of classes among the study participants. Data were collected and entered in MS Excel and analyzed in SPSS 25. Paired “t” test was used. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically.

Results: All 25 participants had a beneficial improvement in DASS-21 scores after the course. The difference in means of scores of DASS-21 for depression, anxiety, and stress was found to be statistically significant with t-values of 11.6, 7.2, and 15.6 respectively. Study participants reported many benefits of mindfulness meditation. Changes were seen in Depression, anxiety, and stress after the completion of the course. Most of the patients wanted a longer course and an adjunct mobile application to guide them through the meditation technique in their homes. No effects were seen with respect to body pain and memory recall abilities.

Conclusion: Mindfulness meditation has a positive impact on depression, anxiety, and stress and needs to be incorporated into the management of depression, anxiety, and stress.