Preventing Depression through Selflessness: Effects and Mechanisms of Attentional vs. Deconstructive Meditation in a Three–Arm Randomized Controlled Trial
Mindfulness March 26, 2026 Céline Stinus, Sophie Berjot
A randomized controlled trial compared two meditation styles—focused-attention and self-inquiry—against a wait-list control group among 147 participants. Both meditation types reduced depressive symptoms and identity threat more than no meditation, with similar effectiveness. Focused-attention meditation also reduced dysfunctional attitudes more than self-inquiry or the control. Cognitive decentering (the ability to observe thoughts without identification) mediated the benefits of focused-attention meditation, while self-inquiry meditation showed exploratory links to increased feelings of connectedness to humanity and nature. The findings suggest that different meditation practices improve well-being through partially distinct psychological mechanisms, though the connectedness results require cautious interpretation.