Contemplative Practices as Complementary Mental Health Strategies: Insights from a Nationally Representative Sample in Australia and New Zealand

A nationally representative survey of 2,640 Australians and New Zealanders found that 70% had engaged in contemplative practices over the past year, most commonly meditation, relaxation, breathing techniques, and yoga. Users of these practices reported higher psychological distress and mental healthcare use than non-practitioners. After adjusting for socio-demographic differences, the association with distress disappeared for yoga and relaxation practitioners; for meditators it disappeared when accounting for mental healthcare use. Breathing practice remained linked to increased distress across all models. However, meditators and relaxation practitioners with unmet healthcare needs reported less distress than non-practitioners with unmet needs. The practices may play a complementary or alternative role in managing mental health.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Introduction: Contemplative practices (including meditation and yoga) are increasingly popular worldwide, especially as alternatives and/or complements to mental health treatment. However, nationally representative samples that allow for accurate estimates of prevalence and relation to mental health are scarce. Methods: We conducted a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey in Australia and New Zealand (N=2640). Sampling was stratified by age, gender, ancestry/ethnicity, region and income. Two pre-registered questions were analysed to explore participants’ engagement in contemplative practices and associations to psychological distress and mental healthcare use. We used posthoc regression analyses to further clarify relationships between variables.Results: Overall, 70% of participants engaged in contemplative practices over the past year, most commonly meditation (31%), relaxation (25%), breathing techniques (24%), and yoga (21%). Improving health and wellbeing were the primary motivations for practice. All contemplative practice users reported significantly higher psychological distress and mental healthcare use than non-practitioners (p’s<.05). Adjusting for socio-demographic differences removed associations with distress among yoga and relaxa-tion practitioners (βrelaxation=.02, βyoga=−.03, n.s.). For meditators, the association disap-peared when we accounted for mental healthcare use (βmeditation=.01, n.s.). Breathing practice was associated with increased distress in all models (βbreathing=.04–.11, p’s<.05). Notably, meditators and relaxation practitioners with unmet healthcare needs reported less distress than non-practitioners with unmet needs (dmeditation=0.38, drelaxa-tion=0.35). Conclusion: Contemplative practices are widespread among Australians and New Zealanders and may play a complementary and/or alternative role in managing mental health. Further research is needed to study their complex associations with mental health, and which types of contemplative practices are beneficial and safe for whom.