Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
July 3, 2023
Justin DeMaranville, Tinakon Wongpakaran, Nahathai Wongpakaran et al.
6 citations
Among Thai boarding-school adolescents, insecure attachment—both anxious and avoidant—is linked to higher depressive symptoms indirectly through lower meditation practice and weaker adherence to Buddhist precepts (abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants). In a sample of 453 students aged about 16, mostly female and Buddhist, those with greater attachment anxiety or avoidance reported less regular meditation and precept adherence, which in turn was associated with more depressive symptoms. Meditation practice contributed more strongly than precept adherence to this indirect pathway. The findings suggest that Buddhist practices may help explain how attachment insecurity relates to depression in this population.
BMC psychology
December 8, 2025
Alla Glushich, Justin DeMaranville, Tinakon Wongpakaran et al.
2 citations
Older Thai Buddhist meditators who strictly follow the Five Precepts and regularly practice death contemplation show higher levels of inner strengths like generosity, morality, mindfulness, wisdom, and equanimity, along with greater well-being, gratitude, and life satisfaction, and lower anxiety, depression, and aggression compared to less dedicated peers. However, gratitude levels did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting gratitude may depend on factors beyond these practices. The findings highlight the combined benefits of ethical conduct and contemplation of impermanence for mental health and resilience in older adults.
BMC psychology
July 29, 2025
Justin DeMaranville, Tinakon Wongpakaran, Nahathai Wongpakaran et al.
2 citations
Among 440 Thai boarding school students aged 15–18, those who practiced death recollection—a form of mindfulness meditation focused on awareness of death—showed fewer depression symptoms linked to stress. Students who had practiced death recollection in the past month (10.2% of the sample) experienced a moderating effect: the relationship between stress and depression was weaker for them. The population had moderate stress and low depression on average. The finding suggests death recollection may help protect against stress-related depression in adolescents, though a longitudinal study is needed to confirm causality.
Scientific reports
May 6, 2025
Nahathai Wongpakaran, Sirilux Klaychaiya, Chompimaksorn Panuspanudechdamrong et al.
2 citations
Among older Thai adults, meditation and adherence to the Buddhist Five Precepts together predicted lower depressive symptoms, but this effect was not seen in younger adults. In a sample of 1,472 individuals (232 older adults, mean age 67.96 years; 1,240 younger adults, mean age 29.04 years), the combination of precepts, meditation, and their interaction significantly reduced depression in the older group (estimated coefficient = -0.1082, 95% CI = -0.1865 to -0.03), increasing explained variance from 24.9% to 31.8%. For younger adults, meditation and precepts mediated the stress-depression link, but the direct interaction was not significant. Older adults who practiced both high precept adherence and meditation showed a stronger buffering effect on stress-related depression.
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
October 30, 2024
Piangdao Sripunya, Tinakon Wongpakaran, Nahathai Wongpakaran
2 citations
Feelings of emptiness are a key driver of self-harm in borderline personality disorder, but inner strengths such as adherence to the Five Precepts, meditation practice, and equanimity can weaken that link. In a study of 302 Thai adults with BPD symptoms, a mediation analysis showed that these inner strengths significantly reduced the direct effect of emptiness on self-harm, with the model explaining 38% of the variance in self-harm. The indirect effect through inner strengths was small but statistically significant, suggesting that cultivating these qualities may help buffer against self-harm by addressing underlying emotional difficulties.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Justin DeMaranville, Tinakon Wongpakaran, Nahathai Wongpakaran et al.
1 citation
Among 443 Thai high school students (mean age 16.35 years, 87.9% female), Buddha image visualization, Manomayiddhi, and breathing meditation were each associated with specific mental health benefits. Buddha image visualization predicted higher self-esteem and resilience, and lower anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. Manomayiddhi predicted higher resilience and lower anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. Breathing meditation predicted lower depression. Practicing any meditation daily was linked to the best mental health scores.