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The Effect of Loving-Kindness Meditation on Mood and Anxiety Symptoms, Interpersonal Relationships, and Emotions: An Initial Randomized Controlled Trial With a Non-Clinical Sample of Undergraduate Women

NCT07611253 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 240

Last updated 2026-05-28

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial was to examine the effects of Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) on anhedonic depressivity, interpersonal relationships (other inclusive self-concept, willingness to sacrifice, interaction quality) and emotions (positive affect, negative affect).

The second aim was to conduct exploratory analyses investigating potential mediators that help explain changes in anhedonic depressivity over the course of short-term targeted LKM.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive one week of \~5-minute daily audio recordings of Loving-Kindness Meditation or a visualization meditation, both of which were focused on a same-gender close friend. Participants completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires measuring psychological, social, and emotional variables; participants also completed daily questionnaires.

Conditions

  • Depression and Anxiety Symptoms

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Loving-Kindness Meditation

Participants received a \~5 minute audio recording of Loving-Kindness Meditation Instructions everday for one week. Recordings were delivered via email. Meditators in both conditions were instructed to find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down, and were then guided through some initial deep breathing. Once relaxed, meditators in the LKM condition were asked to imagine receiving love and wishes of well-being from a close other; they were then asked to direct feelings of love and wishes of wellness to their target close friend. After approximately 5 minutes, meditators were guided back to relaxation.

BEHAVIORAL

Visualization

Participants received a \~5 minute audio recording of visualization Instructions everday for one week. Recordings were delivered via email. Meditators in both conditions were instructed to find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down, and were then guided through some initial deep breathing. Meditators in the visualization condition were asked to visualize specific details of their target close friend's appearance. After approximately 5 minutes, meditators were guided back to relaxation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

    collaborator OTHER

  • Luis Flores

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Luis Flores, Ph.D. · Queen's University and Rutgers University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-01-13
Primary Completion
2021-04-11
Completion
2021-04-11

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07611253 on ClinicalTrials.gov