Pediatric reports
May 14, 2025
Bruno Daniel Carneiro, Daniel Humberto Pozza, José Tiago Costa-Pereira et al.
6 citations
A review of thirteen randomized clinical trials found that the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety, depression, and stress in children and adolescents remains uncertain due to highly variable results. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction showed a small positive effect on depression and anxiety, while non-specific mindfulness-based interventions showed a moderate positive effect on both. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy was effective in reducing anxiety and depression (moderate positive effects) and stress symptoms. However, one study found no significant improvements for anxiety and depression with MBCT, and another found no improvement for anxiety with MBCT/MBSR. The meta-analysis did not identify a significant overall effect on depression or anxiety. High heterogeneity suggests outcomes depend on intervention type, duration, and moderating factors like age.
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
April 23, 2024
Beatriz Manarte Pinto, Isaura Tavares, Daniel Humberto Pozza
6 citations
A systematic review of 26 randomized controlled trials found that mindfulness-based therapies and guided imagery (GI) can help manage chronic non-cancer pain. Mindfulness techniques significantly reduced pain intensity in six trials and improved non-sensory dimensions of pain (such as emotional distress) in ten trials. GI produced significant pain reduction in three trials and improved non-sensory outcomes in two trials. Four mindfulness trials reported significant reductions in opioid consumption, while one GI trial found a small effect. The review highlights Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) as a particularly promising approach for improving interoception. Most studies had moderate to high risk of bias.
Frontiers in integrative neuroscience
January 1, 2024
Alexandra Lopes, Rute Sampaio, Isaura Tavares
3 citations
Pain is influenced by psychological and social factors, including the placebo effect. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) reduce pain, but how they work is not fully understood. This systematic review of 19 studies (10 on acute pain, 9 on chronic pain) examined whether placebo effects and expectations contribute to MBIs' pain relief. Only six studies measured placebo effects related to a drug, not the MBI itself. The few studies that did focus on MBIs suggest that placebo and expectations play a role in their effects on pain. Although these factors are often discussed, they are rarely measured in experiments. The review concludes that placebo and expectancy effects clearly contribute to MBIs' pain relief, and future studies should routinely measure them.
Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2025
Ana Rita Soares, Sandra Soares, Tânia Brandão et al.
1 citation
A meditation app (Med@Med) designed for Portuguese medical students was tested with 147 students. The main motivations for using the app were to experience meditation (33%), reduce stress or anxiety (25%), or establish a daily routine (16%). Students who received daily messages in plain language summarizing scientific benefits of meditation were more likely to keep using the app. After meditating, students reported increased joy and decreased fear and sadness. Use of the app was linked to improved emotional regulation and lower emotional distress and anxiety compared to age-matched students who did not use the app.