Standardised Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Healthcare: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of RCTs
PLoS ONE April 16, 2015 Rinske A. Gotink, Paula Chu, Jan J. V. Busschbach et al. 546 citations
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) modestly improve depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, quality of life, and physical functioning across a range of chronic conditions. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 reviews covering 115 randomized controlled trials and 8,683 individuals found that, compared with waitlist or treatment as usual, these programs yielded small to moderate benefits: depressive symptoms (Cohen's d=0.37), anxiety (d=0.49), stress (d=0.51), quality of life (d=0.39), and physical functioning (d=0.27). The evidence supports their use as adjunct treatments for cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, depression, anxiety disorders, and prevention in healthy adults and children, though heterogeneity, possible publication bias, and limited long-term follow-up temper confidence.