Meditation techniques associated with lower cortisol levels for at-risk populations
By Esmeralda Carcia-Ramirez. This article was initially published in the 12/12/24 edition of our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.
A recent meta-analysis by Adam Koncz et al. suggests that different meditation interventions (particularly those focused on mindfulness) benefit individuals at risk for high cortisol levels––especially for those with a somatic (physical) illness. (While this meta-analysis is not studying concussion, we think it may be relevant to concussion recovery.) The study, published in Health Psychology Review, explains that higher cortisol levels are associated with various mental disorders, somatic illnesses, and chronic stress. Prolonged high cortisol levels can adversely impact the cardiovascular and immune systems.
The meta-analysis found that partaking in mediation techniques consistently shows a “significant, medium-sized reduction” in cortisol levels for at-risk populations and a “moderate-sized benefit” effect for those living in stressful situations. They found only a “marginally significant, small effect” for no-risk groups, but the finding is considered preliminary due to the small number of control groups. They also found no effect on those with a mental illness––but this result contrasts with other findings that meditation is beneficial for anxiety and depression. Overall, this meta-analysis suggests that meditation may be effective for at-risk populations; the authors note that “Preliminary results suggest that benefits of meditation interventions might not fade with time.”
The meta-analysis reviewed 34 randomized control studies that compared mediation for populations at risk for elevated cortisol levels to control groups. The at-risk populations in these studies included somatic illness (cancer, diabetes, etc.), mental illness (PTSD, depression, etc.), or those living in stressful life circumstances (low socioeconomic status, etc.) These studies involved cortisol sampling procedures such as saliva, blood, urine samples, and hair cortisol.
Cortisol is a hormone produced in response to stress and regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Our cortisol levels remain low daily but increase in response to stress. To explore the relationship between meditation and cortisol levels, researchers conducted a systematic search of several databases, including Web of Science (Core Collection), EBSCO (PsychInfo, PsychArticles, MEDLINE), PubMed, and ProQuest. The meta-analysis covers a variety of meditation techniques that can be categorized into focused attention techniques, open monitoring techniques, transcendental meditation, and mind-body techniques.
However, in contrast to previous studies, the theory that anxiety and depression can be decreased with mindfulness meditation could not be proven with these studies that sample cortisol levels. Regardless, various meditation programs can be helpful for those in life situations that may cause an increase in cortisol levels. Longer meditation programs (those that involve more than 20 hours) were found to be more effective for stress reduction.
