Meditation for Depression: Does it Really Work?
What Is Depression? | What Is Meditation? | The Benefits of Meditation for Depression | 3 Simple Steps to Start Meditating | Bottom Line
Medication or meditation, what’s best? Here’s why it’s worth trying meditation for depression, the benefits of doing so, and a simple way to get started.
Approximately 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and a lot more will go undiagnosed. If the usual treatments are prescribed, that’s a lot of people on medication who will suffer from side effects and withdrawal symptoms further down the line.
So today, we’ll look into the benefits of meditation for depression and decide whether or not meditation is worth practicing.
What Is Depression?
Depression, albeit common, is a serious mood disorder that affects how a person feels, and consequently, how they behave and act in their day-to-day lives.
Anyone can get depression, no matter the age, race, or gender. But to be diagnosed with depression, symptoms must be present for at least 2 weeks. Feeling down occasionally is normal, but feeling down consistently isn’t.
There are different types of depression: major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and seasonal affective disorder, to name a few. But they all share similar signs and symptoms.
Feeling sad and anxious
Feeling hopeless
Irritable and frustrated
Feeling guilty or helpless
Loss of interest in hobbies
Low energy
Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
Oversleeping
Sufferers of depression may or may not experience all of these symptoms, it varies from person to person. One person may feel sad and guilty, another may feel frustrated and find difficulty in decision-making.
Research suggests that genetics, environmental, and psychological factors play a role in depression. With so many factors playing a part in causation, there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” remedy or cure.
The usual treatments include medication, psychotherapy, and lastly, brain stimulation therapies. However, these treatments don’t come without drawbacks, especially medication.
For some, particularly those with less severe depression, better alternatives may lie in changing lifestyle factors. Exercise is a viable option, you can read more on this here, and so is meditation.
What Is Meditation?
To onlookers, a person meditating may seem as though they aren’t doing anything, but that’s far from the truth.
Meditation is an ancient practice that involves deeply channeling focus into something with a particular outcome in mind.
That “something” can include a visual stimulus, such as a candle flame; a particular movement pattern, like tai-chi or yoga; or simply breathing.
The “outcome in mind” is individual-specific. You can meditate to start your day with a clear mind or meditate before bed to fall asleep soundly. One person may meditate to reflect, whilst another may meditate to plan.
You can understand meditation better by looking at its similarities with praying.
People pray for certain things, like health or wealth, and in doing so, their focus is drawn into that single aspect. The same effect can be achieved through meditation.
Meditation is a psychological practice. So, logically, you may infer that it can aid in psychological problems, such as depression. Let’s take a look at three studies that investigate meditation for depression.
The Benefits of Meditation for Depression
Study 1: Mantra Meditation for Major Depression
Background
Mantra meditation is the meditative practice of repeating a word or phrase to channel an individual's focus. Research into mantra meditation is currently limited, though findings are positive so far.
To test the effectiveness of mantra meditation for depression, researchers from Germany compared the effects of mantra meditation and progressive muscle relaxation on 123 inpatients at a psychiatric hospital.
Results
Patients who practiced mantra meditation had significantly greater improvements in changes in depressive symptoms. However, these effects were mainly due to improvements in mood, rather than improvement in cognitive symptoms. This implies that mantra meditation for depression can reduce symptom severity, rather than eliminate symptoms.
Study 2: Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification for Mild to Moderate Depression
Background
Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification involves three major components and is based on classical yoga. The three major components are ethical living, a healthy lifestyle, and mantra meditation.
The same research department from Germany as in Study 1 investigated the effects of Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification on 25 outpatients with mild to moderate depression.
Results
The majority of patients reported greater inspiration through practicing the ethical aspect of yoga, a reduction in emotional distress, and an increase in self-confidence and self-acceptance. The major finding of the study was a decrease of 39.23% in depressive symptoms. Another win for meditation for depression.
Study 3: Effect of Home Meditation on Hazard of Relapse to Depression
Background
Researchers from Oxford and Bangor investigated the effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, where home meditation is a central component. Participants were assigned a formal practice guided by CD, as well as informal mindfulness practices (including breathing practices and noting stressful experiences).
Results
Analyzing the data from 99 participants, people who engage in formal home practice have a significantly lower hazard of relapse. In addition, those who practiced on average three or more days per week were roughly half as likely to relapse to depression. Indicating that consistency is crucial when it comes to meditation for depression.
3 Simple Steps to Start Meditating
So current research supports meditation as a means to mitigate the negative effects of depression, but how exactly do you meditate?
Two of the above studies investigated mantra meditation for depression, whilst one investigated mindfulness. These are just two types of meditation, and there’s a whole lot more.
Rather than jumping into and trialing different types of meditation for depression, I’d suggest keeping it simple at first before exploring the more advanced techniques. Below is how I’d recommend starting:
Step 1: Sit Down
Ideally on the floor with good posture, keeping your back and neck straight.
Step 2: Set a Timer
I’d recommend starting small and building your way up. A good starting point is 5 minutes.
Step 3: Focus on Something
A popular method is to focus on breathing. You can then choose to maintain a clear mind or allow thoughts to drift past. If this proves challenging at first, try focusing on something external, like a candlelight.
Bottom Line
Research suggests that meditation is effective at alleviating symptoms of depression
Meditation in itself does not cure depression
Frequency and consistency are important when meditating for depression
Meditation can have indirect benefits, which may make handling depressive experiences and symptoms easier
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