Effectiveness of mindfulness based interventions in reducing depressive symptoms across mental disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Ekin Alkan, Geetanjali Kumar, Shreya Ravichandran, Samiksha Rakesh Kaushal, Gonzalo Salazar-De-Pablo, Livia Alerci, Joelle Michaud-Feinberg, Luis Gutiérrez-Rojas, Carline Zorzi, Paul Klauser, Philippe Golay, Ueli Kramer, Luis Alameda
Psychiatry research June 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116473 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), including Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, are effective at reducing depressive symptoms across a range of psychiatric disorders. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 35 randomized controlled trials covering 12 diagnostic categories found that these interventions produced significant effect sizes compared to active control conditions. The findings suggest that MBIs can serve as a cost-effective, transdiagnostic tool for treating depressive symptoms not only in depressive disorders but across mental health conditions.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Clinical samples aged 18–65 from 12 diagnostic categories |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Dialectical Behavioural Therapy |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Depressive symptoms Mindfulness-based treatments Psychiatric disorders Transdiagnostic |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key finding | Mindfulness-based interventions are efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms across psychiatric disorders compared to active control conditions. |
Abstract
Mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly recognised for their efficacy in treating depressive disorders. Depressive symptoms are prevalent across various disorders and can significantly impact outcomes, therefore being an important transdiagnostic target. Multiple randomized controlled Trials (RCTs) have explored this question in discrete disorders; however, evidence has never been meta-analysed transdiagnostically. The Prospero-registered (CRD42022352046) systematic review has been conducted on EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsychINFO using terms related to Randomised controlled trials, mindfulness and depression in clinical samples aged between 18 and 65. Random-effects models were performed to assess the effectiveness of MBIs, including Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), on depressive symptoms transdiagnostically. We conducted sensitivity, heterogeneity analyses, publication bias assessments, meta-regressions and assessed quality. Thirty-five studies, including participants from 12 different diagnostic categories, were included. The results revealed that MBCT, ACT, DBT and others are efficacious in treating depressive symptoms across psychiatric diagnoses compared to active control conditions, all with significant effect sizes. MBIs are effective in reducing depressive symptoms across psychiatric disorders. They should be considered as a potential cost-effective tool to be systematically implemented, not only in those with depression but across mental health disorders.