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Group vs. single mindfulness meditation: exploring avoidance, impulsivity, and weight management in two separate mindfulness meditation settings.

Applied psychology. Health and well-being
July 1, 2014
Michail Mantzios et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to compare the effects of mindfulness meditation in group versus individual settings on weight loss, cognitive-behavioral avoidance, impulsivity, and mindfulness.

Results Summary

Group mindfulness meditation led to weight loss and reduced cognitive-behavioral avoidance, while individual meditation resulted in less weight loss, increased avoidance, and higher mindfulness scores, with decreased impulsivity.

Population

Adults trying to lose weight (n=170).

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

6 weeks

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
mindfulness meditation in group settings
decrease
weight
participants who were trying to lose weight
-
lost weight
#1
mindfulness meditation in group settings
decrease
cognitive-behavioral avoidance
participants who were trying to lose weight
-
lowered their levels
#2
mindfulness meditation in group settings
no change
impulsivity
participants who were trying to lose weight
-
remained stable
#3
mindfulness meditation in group settings
no change
mindfulness
participants who were trying to lose weight
-
remained stable
#4
mindfulness meditation in individual settings
decrease
weight
participants who were trying to lose weight
-
lost less weight
#5
mindfulness meditation in individual settings
increase
cognitive-behavioral avoidance
participants who were trying to lose weight
-
increase
#6
mindfulness meditation in individual settings
increase
mindfulness scores
participants who were trying to lose weight
-
increase
#7
mindfulness meditation in individual settings
decrease
impulsivity
participants who were trying to lose weight
-
decrease
#8
Abstract

Recent research has identified that mindfulness meditation in group settings supports people who are trying to lose weight. The present research investigated mindfulness meditation in group and individual settings, and explored the potential impact on weight loss and other factors (i.e. mindfulness, impulsivity, and avoidance) that may assist or hinder weight loss. Specifically, the hypotheses tested were that the group setting assisted dieters more than the individual setting by reducing weight, cognitive-behavioral avoidance, and impulsivity and by increasing mindfulness. Participants (n = 170) who were trying to lose weight were randomly assigned to practice meditation for 6 weeks within a group or independently. Measurements in mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral avoidance, impulsivity, and weight occurred twice (pre- and post-intervention). Results indicated that participants in the group setting lost weight and lowered their levels of cognitive-behavioral avoidance, while impulsivity and mindfulness remained stable. On the other hand, participants in the individual condition lost less weight, while there was an increase in cognitive-behavioral avoidance and mindfulness scores, but a decrease in impulsivity. Seeing that benefits and limitations observed in group settings are not replicated when people meditate alone, this study concluded that mindfulness meditation in individual settings needs to be used with caution, although there are some potential benefits that could aid future weight loss research.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultFemaleHumansImpulsive BehaviorMaleMeditationMindfulnessPsychotherapy, GroupTreatment OutcomeWeight LossYoung Adult
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations35
Citations/Year3.2
Relative Citation Ratio1.79
NIH Percentile71%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.76
Normalized Score0.67
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