The beneficial effects of lovingkindness meditation on mental wellbeing among emerging adults in Hong Kong

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that one-off basis 15-minutes brief loving-kindness meditation (LKM) intervention may lead to better mental well-being among emerging adults in Hong Kong.

Methods: Subjects were 101 emerging adults (mean age = 20.96, 86.14% female) who practiced brief loving-kindness meditation (LKM) or visualization exercise and filled out a fourteen-part questionnaire: demographics sheet, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006); Self-Compassion Scale (Raes, Pommier, Neff, & Van Gucht, 2011); The Compassion Scale (Pommier, 2011); Self-Other Four Immeasurables Scale (Kraus & Sears, 2009); Social Connectedness Scale (Lee, Draper, & Lee, 2001); Peace of Mind Scale (Lee, Lin, Huang & Fredrickson, 2013); The Forms of Selfcriticizing/Attacking

& Self-reassuring Scale (Gilbert, Clark, Hempel, Miles, & Irons, 2004); Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (Arrindell, Hafkenscheid, & Emmelkamp, 1984) before, immediately after and one month after the intervention.

Results: Results showed that 1) there were significant positive correlations between mindfulness, compassion for self and others, positivity towards the self and others and social connectedness, and self-compassion, while they were significant negatively associated with negativity towards the self and others; and 2) the 15-minute brief loving-kindness mediation (LKM) was effective in improving the mental well-being of emerging adults immediately and one month after the intervention.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that one-off brief loving-kindness mediation (LKM) is beneficial to the mental well-being of emerging adults. All rights reserved.