We are delighted to announce that a large scale, long term research study is about to start in relation to our Four Level Pathway. This research is led by Dr Oleg Medvedev and Katya Gus of Waikato University in New Zealand. Oleg is also the Editor of the Mindfulness Journal in which Choden’s recent articles have been published. Please scroll down for a summary of this research.
Those attending our Mindfulness Level 1 courses are invited to participate in this longitudinal survey study investigating the effectiveness of the Mindfulness Association’s four-level training pathway. This research will improve scientists’ understanding of how mindfulness training affects psychological well-being, mindfulness skills, and immune function across different levels of training. The Primary researcher for this project is Dr. Oleg Medvedev at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.
The study does not involve any commercial interest. During data collection, your survey responses will be linked to your Mindfulness Association enrolment to track your progress across the multiple timepoints of this study. Participation is completely voluntary and confidential. Only authorised research team members will have access to identified data during collection. Participants may withdraw from the study at any time during the data collection period by emailing Dr. Oleg Medvedev at oleg.medvedev@waikato.ac.nz or contacting the Mindfulness Association directly. Upon withdrawal, all the data will be completely removed from the study. Before any data analysis begins, all identifying information will be permanently deleted to ensure complete anonymity. After this point, individual data cannot be identified or removed as the dataset will be fully anonymous.
The questions in the survey relate to psychological well-being, mindfulness experiences, emotions, life satisfaction, and immune-related health symptoms. If you feel uncomfortable answering questions about these topics, please do not complete this survey. Each survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Participants will be invited to complete surveys at ten timepoints: baseline, before and after each training level, and at 3 and 6 months post-completion.
The data from this research will contribute to peer-reviewed publications and will be stored securely according to university protocols. This research project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Any questions about the ethical conduct of this research may be sent to the Secretary of the Committee, email alpss-ethics@waikato.ac.nz, postal address, Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences, University of Waikato, Te Whare Wananga o Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240.