A Comparative Study of Self-compassion, Mindfulness and Aggression among Meditator and Non-meditator Young Adults

Description

Page: 202-206

Saurabh Sijwali and Spriha Sharma (Department of Psychology, University Institute of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab)

The global prevalence of mental disorders among young individuals is approximately 20%, only 7.3% of India’s 365 million young population acknowledge experiencing such difficulties (Gaiha et al., 2020). Societal stigma surrounding mental health problems hinders young people from seeking help. Therefore, it is essential to emphasize the significance of promoting practices like meditation, mindfulness, and self-compassion. This study focuses specifically on exploring the group differences among meditators and non-meditators. A sample of 68 participants (18-25 years) were administered the Mindfulness Attention Awareness scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003); Brief Aggression Questionnaire (Webster et al., 2014); and Self-compassion Scale (Short Scale) (Neff, 2003). The data was subjected to independent t-test. These findings revealed that people who practice meditation activities of any form show higher levels of self-compassion and mindfulness, and lower levels of aggression. Whereas, the non-Meditators showed high level of aggression and low level of self-compassion and mindfulness. The results of the study contribute to the development of effective strategies for addressing mental health concerns in this vulnerable population.