THE EFFECT OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ANXIETY AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

AGATA SINTA PUSPITA SARI, Prof. Kwartarini Wahyu Yuniarti, M.Med.Sc., Ph.D., Psikolog

2026 | Tesis | S2 Psikologi

Penelitian ini mengkaji efek program Transcendental Meditation (TM) selama 14 hari terhadap kecemasan dan kesejahteraan psikologis (psychological well-being/PWB) pada siswa kelas X, serta menguji apakah penurunan kecemasan memediasi hubungan antara partisipasi TM dan peningkatan PWB. Desain kuasi-eksperimental pretest-posttest digunakan, dengan 60 partisipan yang dibagi menjadi kelompok TM (n = 30) dan kelompok kontrol waitlist (n = 30). Hasil menunjukkan bahwa TM tidak menghasilkan perbedaan kelompok yang signifikan secara statistik dalam penurunan kecemasan, F(1, 58) = 2.20, p = .143, ?p² = .037, maupun peningkatan PWB. Meskipun interaksi Time × Group yang signifikan ditemukan untuk PWB, F(1, 58) = 4.80, p = .032, ?p² = .076, arah efeknya justru menguntungkan kelompok kontrol. Efek tidak langsung TM terhadap PWB melalui penurunan kecemasan tidak signifikan (ab = 0.93, 95% CI [?0.30, 2.73]) dan gender tidak memoderasi kedua hasil tersebut. Namun, penurunan kecemasan secara signifikan berkaitan dengan peningkatan PWB (b = 0.678, p = .041), mendukung kelayakan teoretis jalur mediasi yang diusulkan. Temuan ini diinterpretasikan sebagai bukti awal, dengan keterbatasan statistik, heterogenitas baseline kecemasan, dan efek stabilisasi lingkungan residensial sebagai kendala metodologis utama. Penelitian selanjutnya dengan sampel yang lebih besar, populasi dengan kecemasan baseline yang lebih tinggi, dan kondisi lingkungan yang lebih terkontrol sangat direkomendasikan.

This study examined the effects of a 14-day Transcendental Meditation (TM) program on anxiety and psychological well-being (PWB) among Grade 10 students. It investigated whether anxiety reduction mediated the TM–PWB relationship. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was employed, with 60 participants assigned to a TM group (n = 30) or a waitlist control group (n = 30). Results indicated that TM did not produce statistically significant group differences in anxiety reduction, F(1, 58) = 2.20, p = .143, ?p² = .037. Although a significant Time × Group interaction was observed for PWB, the effect was in the opposite direction, favoring the control group. Although a significant Time × Group interaction was observed for PWB, F(1, 58) = 4.80, p = .032, ?p² = .076, the effect favored the control group. The indirect effect of TM on PWB through anxiety reduction was non-significant (ab = 0.93, 95% CI [?0.298, 2.730]), and gender did not moderate either outcome. However, anxiety reduction was significantly associated with PWB gains (b = 0.678, p = .041), supporting the theoretical plausibility of the proposed pathway. These findings should be interpreted as preliminary, given limited statistical power, heterogeneity in baseline anxiety levels, and potential stabilizing effects of the residential environment. Future research with larger samples, populations with elevated baseline anxiety, and controlled environmental conditions is recommended.

Kata Kunci : Transcendental Meditation, kecemasan, kesejahteraan psikologis, remaja, mediasi