Mindfulness Components and Their Clinical Efficacy: A Critical Review of an Ongoing Debate.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) January 13, 2026 Andrea Lizama-Lefno, Krystel Mojica, Mayte Serrat et al.
Mindfulness programs reduce anxiety, depression, and stress with moderate efficacy, but their effect sizes are often inflated by methodological limitations. Cognitive and emotional regulation skills—particularly acceptance and non-judgment—sustain long-term benefits more consistently than meditation alone. Psychoeducation and informal practice may be as important as meditation in improving mental health outcomes. The review calls for rigorous longitudinal studies to identify the mechanisms driving clinical change and to distinguish evidence-based applications from overstated claims.