This preregistered RCT examined the effects of three brief (5–10 min) meditation practices — mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude — versus a control condition on subjective wellbeing in a demographically representative US and UK adult sample (N = 5,049). It also tested whether pre-intervention characteristics could predict individual response using a data-driven approach.
Brief meditation practices modestly improved negative affect (a component of subjective wellbeing), and individual response to these interventions could be predicted from pre-intervention characteristics.
Effect sizes appear modest, limiting clinical magnitude; the study used brief single-session practices (5–10 min), which may not reflect outcomes of sustained meditation training; generalizability beyond self-reported subjective wellbeing outcomes is unclear.
Brief meditation exercises (mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude) can modestly reduce negative affect in the general adult population. Pre-intervention characteristics may help match individuals to the most effective practice — a promising but not yet clinically validated approach.
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