Pearce, Ashleigh (2024) Exploring Meditators’ Perceptions Through the Health Belief Model. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
While there is considerable research showing multidimensional benefits of meditation to mental and physical wellbeing, uptake remains low and clarity on why is scarce. The literature favours benefits without illuminating barriers, and lacks theory-driven qualitative exploration of firsthand meditation perspectives from general populations. This study sought to ground Australian meditators’ benefits, barriers and beliefs of meditation within the Health Belief Model to inform uptake and alleviate healthcare burdens. Employing Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA), informed by a contextualist epistemology, helped reveal why Australian adults meditate, how they navigate novel and ongoing barriers and evoked their beliefs on enhancing uptake. Semi-structured interviews facilitated participant disclosure, lasting 20-90 minutes. Recruited participants comprised 16 Australian adults ranging 25 to 74 years (M = 40.13, SD = 15.33) who had meditated (in any form) for at least 1 hour a week, for at least the previous 3 months. Key themes were identified via RTA and characterised through a post-hoc application of the Health Belief Model, entailing perceived threat, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy beliefs and cues to action. The discussion reveals key strengths of mindfulness, self-awareness and mental and physical benefits, key barriers of time, stigma, misconception of silencing the mind and perceived value of meditation. Additionally, gradual self-efficacy beliefs, physiological and environmental cues to action and public awareness avenues are analysed. Conclusions present an actionable framework holistically addressing meditation uptake and implications for further adapting this model to maximise wide-ranging benefits across widespread populations.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Mrs. Senyard ,Emma-Leigh |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Jan 2026 04:16 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Jan 2026 04:16 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | meditation, mindfulness, complementary medicine, health belief model, self-awareness |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1701 Psychology > 170106 Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5203 Clinical and health psychology > 520304 Health psychology |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/53108 |
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