A comparative study of the impact of meditation and Buddhist five precepts on stress and depression between older adults and younger adults.
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.