Evaluating the effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on mental health and resilience of paramedicine students – a randomised controlled pilot study

Paramedics worldwide have a higher prevalence of PTSD, anxiety, and depression than the general population. Paramedicine students predominately enter the profession without preventative techniques to manage stress, depression and fatigue. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on the well-being and resilience of paramedicine students. A pilot randomised control trial (RCT) spanning 4 weeks assessed the efficacy of TM on paramedicine students (n = 5) compared to a control group (n = 5). A set of questionnaires were distributed pre- and post-intervention to determine the effect of TM. Post-intervention, TM participants had significantly higher results in mental clarity (t = 3.347, p = 0.010), trait resilience (t = 2.630, p = 0.030), lower stress (t=-3.667, p = 0.008), and less depression, (t=-2.617, p = 0.035) with large effect sizes, as well as less fatigue (Z=-2.060, p = 0.039) than the control group. A significant negative relationship between stress and trait resilience was found. This is the first international study to examine the effect of TM on the well-being and resilience of paramedicine students. The findings suggest that students who undertook TM had reduced levels of stress, depression, fatigue, and increased mental clarity and trait resilience post TM intervention compared to the control group.This trial was retrospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), ACTRN12625000240448 on 03/04/2025. Available at https//www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx? id=389,147&isReview=true.