A randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness to escitalopram for anxiety: In-person and remote, synchronous delivery pre and post COVID-19 pandemic.
Journal of affective disorders September 1, 2025 Elizabeth A Hoge, Mihriye Mete, Amanda W Baker et al. 3 citations
For adults with anxiety disorders, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) delivered via videoconference was comparably effective to in-person MBSR, but MBSR-VC did not meet the threshold for non-inferiority compared to the antidepressant escitalopram (ESC) delivered by videoconference. In a randomized controlled trial with 202 participants, MBSR-VC and ESC-VC showed similar average improvement on the Clinical Global Impression of Severity scale (1.39 vs 1.51 points), but non-inferiority was not supported. In-person treatments had a greater impact on social anxiety than their video versions. ESC-VC received higher satisfaction ratings and had a greater effect on panic symptoms than MBSR-VC. Remotely delivered MBSR is a viable option for anxiety disorders, though social anxiety may benefit more from in-person care.