A year and a half of meditation improved one part of well-being, not all of it
Among 134 healthy older adults, mindfulness improved compared with both groups, and connection only compared with English classes. Overall well-being showed no difference.
The key idea
After a year and a half, meditation improved one measure of awareness, connection, and understanding, but not every well-being scale.
The study, in plain language
Sustaining a practice for a year and a half is different from trying an exercise for a few minutes. The Age-Well trial compared meditation training with English classes of similar duration and with taking part in no program among healthy older adults in France.
At the end, meditation favored a measure combining awareness, connection, and understanding of experience compared with the other two groups. The general psychological well-being scale showed no group differences, and the advantage in psychological quality of life did not hold after adjusting for multiple comparisons. What changed was a specific measure of contemplative well-being, not every scale.
What they found
- The training lasted a year and a half and was compared with English classes and with no program.
- The measure combining awareness, connection, and understanding favored meditation over both other groups.
- The general psychological well-being scale showed no difference, and the advantage in psychological quality of life did not hold after adjustment for multiple comparisons.
Something to think about
Well-being has several parts, and a long practice may shift one without shifting the others. Which part would you be interested in examining in your own life?
How they studied it
This secondary analysis revisited a trial that randomly assigned healthy older adults in Caen, France, to 18 months of meditation, English classes of similar duration, or no program. There were 137 participants, and the analysis included 134. Well-being was measured at the start, nine months, and 18 months.
What the study cannot show
- The sample consisted of healthy older adults from a single area.
- There was no assessment after the program ended, and some analyses were exploratory.
- The study does not separate meditation’s effect from the program’s other components.
The original study
An 18-month meditation training selectively improves psychological well-being in older adults: A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
