Improving happiness, resilience, and self-efficacy while reducing stress for rural Lebanese women using the...

BackgroundWomen in rural Lebanon face ongoing war, corruption, pollution, and inequality. Such chronic instability makes their lives challenging.ObjectivesThis study evaluated the effects of a well-researched meditation practice on countering the stressors these women experience.DesignThis was a randomized controlled trial of 114 rural Lebanese women divided into three cohorts, each measured over a period of three months. Subjects in each cohort were randomized into either the experimental group, who were taught the Transcendental Meditation practice, or an active wait-list control group. The study ran from May to November, 2023.MethodsAll participants were measured at baseline, 1-month, and 3-months using the Perceived Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), the Arabic Scale of Happiness, and the New General Self-Efficacy Scale. Procedures and study design were approved by the Maharishi International University Research Institute Review Board on December 9, 2022. The ethics approval number is IRB-MIU-MVS-2022-1008.ResultsAfter three months of TM practice, the experimental group had significant reductions in perceived stress and significant increases in happiness, resilience, and self-efficacy (P<.001) compared with controls. Compliance was high, with almost 80% reporting daily TM practice. A stepwise multiple discriminant analysis revealed that self-efficacy and perceived stress significantly predicted levels of happiness.ConclusionFindings indicate that TM practice is an effective tool for rural Lebanese women in relieving stress and promoting happiness, resilience, and self-efficacy. It may strengthen the inner person to better cope with existing environmental pressures. Longer studies with a wider Lebanese/Middle East population are needed to confirm these findings.