Effects of transcendental meditation on mental health and work productivity among university staff in Australia: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND

Chronic psychological stress is a major public health problem with adverse effects on mental health, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and work functioning. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a standardised meditation that may reduce stress and enhance wellbeing, yet long-term evidence in workplace settings is limited. This study evaluated the effect of TM on perceived stress and related outcomes among Australian university staff.

METHODS

This two-arm, open-label randomised controlled trial enrolled staff of an Australian university into TM (5-day training plus regular practice, n = 65) or control (usual wellbeing resources, n = 64) groups. Symptoms of perceived stress (primary outcome), anxiety and depression symptoms, workplace burnout, poor sleep, well-being, HRQoL, and productivity impairment were assessed at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Analyses were conducted using baseline-adjusted linear mixed models under the intention-to-treat principle.

RESULTS

TM significantly reduced perceived stress over 6 months compared with control (adjusted mean difference - 2.25 [95% CI: -3.33, -1.17], p < .001) with a moderate effect size (Hedge g = -0.52). Significant improvements were also observed in symptoms of anxiety, depression, burnout, sleep quality (mean differences -0.25 to -2.89), well-being, and HRQoL (1.08 to 1.64). Exploratory analysis showed that twice-daily practice was significantly associated with improvements in perceived stress, well-being, HRQoL, symptoms of depression and burnout (p < .05). No adverse effects were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

TM produced significant improvements in stress, mental health, sleep, and HRQoL over six months and warrants consideration as a safe, effective workplace mental health strategy, but active-comparator trials with longer follow-up are needed.