The effects of intensive mindfulness meditation training on mental health: evidence of effectiveness and safety from a matched-controlled intervention study.

Résumé

Despite increased public interest and research on intensive high-dose mental health interventions, much remains unknown about the mental health effects and safety of multi-day intensive high-dose mindfulness meditation training. Accordingly, we conducted a preregistered prospective intervention study among 89 adults who registered for 6-day insight mindfulness meditation retreats and 46 matched controls (() = 33.75 (9.50), 56.3% female). Retreat participants demonstrated significant improvements in well-being, negative affect, perseverative thinking, brooding rumination, and depression symptoms at 2-week follow-up compared to matched controls ( = .04-.08, s