Meditation may support students’ mental wellbeing, while direct resilience benefits remain uncertain

Research details

The review included 88 randomized controlled trials with 8,728 university students.

Meditation was linked with small average improvements in anxiety, depression, stress and wellbeing.

The review found a larger average effect on factors related to resilience.

Evidence for improvement on direct resilience questionnaires was uncertain and could include no effect.

The studies varied considerably, so the findings may not apply equally to every student or meditation programme.

Teaser

A review of 88 randomized trials found small improvements in anxiety, depression, stress and wellbeing, but the evidence was less clear for resilience itself.

Source Title

Impact of meditation-only interventions on university students’ resilience: A pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomised actively and passively controlled trials

Plain Summary

A systematic review published in *Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being* examined whether meditation-only programmes could support university students’ resilience and mental health. The researchers combined results from 88 randomized controlled trials involving 8,728 students. The studies compared meditation with either an active alternative, such as another structured activity, or a passive comparison group that did not receive the intervention.

Across the studies, meditation was linked with small improvements in several mental-health outcomes related to resilience: anxiety, depression, stress and wellbeing. The overall statistical result was 0.27, which in plain language suggests a modest average difference rather than a dramatic change. The review also found a larger average effect—0.54—on factors considered related to resilience. These factors may include aspects of mental health that can help someone manage difficulties, although the supplied findings do not identify one specific factor as responsible for the result.

The clearest caution concerns resilience measured directly with resilience questionnaires. The overall result was -0.11, and the range of uncertainty included the possibility of no effect. This means the review could not establish that meditation itself improves people’s measured resilience.

Because the included studies were randomized trials, they provide useful evidence about possible effects. However, the authors noted substantial differences between the studies and limitations in the available evidence. Results can vary according to how meditation was taught, how often students practised, what comparison group was used and how outcomes were measured. The review focused on meditation-only interventions, so its findings should not automatically be applied to programmes that combine meditation with exercise, yoga or other practices.

Overall, the research suggests that meditation may offer modest support for university students’ stress-related mental health and wellbeing. It does not show that meditation guarantees greater resilience, nor that it works in the same way for every student.

Practical Takeaway

For university students, meditation may be a useful part of caring for mental wellbeing, particularly in relation to stress, anxiety, depression and wellbeing. The average improvements were modest, and the research does not show that meditation definitely builds resilience itself. Since the studies differed in their methods and programmes, results will not necessarily be the same for everyone. These findings support viewing meditation as one possible source of support—not as a guaranteed solution or a replacement for other appropriate forms of help.