Author(s)

Bert N. Uchino^1*, Kimberly Bowen¹, Robert G. Kent de Grey¹, Timothy W. Smith¹, Brian R. Baucom¹, Kathleen C. Light², Shirley Ray³

¹Department of Psychology and Health Psychology Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
²Department of Anesthesiology University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
³Insight Mindfulness Meditation of Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, USA.

Most interventions on relationships and health have focused on altering positive aspects of relationship such as social support. Given the separability of positive and negative aspects of relationships it is less clear if such interventions can also influence relationship negativity. This pilot study of 9 individuals tested the influence of a novel 6-week loving-kindness meditation (LKM) intervention on changes over time in social support, social negativity, depression, and life satisfaction. Consistent with past work, LKM participants showed increases in perceived support and decreases in depression. Extending prior work, LKM participants also showed decreases in social negativity, which was more closely linked to changes in depression compared to social support. These data suggest the feasibility of using LKM to increase relationship positivity, decrease relationship negativity, and enhance psychological well-being.

Social Support, Social Negativity, Loving-Kindness Meditation, Well-Being

Uchino, B.N. , Bowen, K. , Kent de Grey, R.G. , Smith, T.W. , Baucom, B.R. , Light, K.C. and Ray, S. (2016) Loving-Kindness Meditation Improves Relationship Negativity and Psychological Well-Being: A Pilot Study. Psychology, 7, 6-11. doi: 10.4236/psych.2016.71002.