The empirical support for mindfulness-based interventions for common psychiatric disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Open accessAbstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have become widely used for common mental disorders (CMDs) but the state of the evidence has not been sufficiently investigated. The aims for this study were: (1) to quantify the effect size of MBIs for CMDs in the acute phase; (2) to explore moderator variables; and (3) to evaluate the evidence status of MBIs for the CMDs it has been tried for. A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted. RCTs that evaluated MBI and included patients with a primary manifest CMD was included. Methodological quality, the risk of bias, publication bias and evidence status were assessed. Literature searches gave 2448 hits and 19 studies were included. MBIs were more effective than no treatment (g = 1.07) and treatment-as-usual (g = 0.40) but not in comparison to placebo (g = 0.17) or other active treatments (g = −0.01). Methodological quality was negatively correlated with outcome. For all psychiatric disorders it has been tested, MBIs were judged to have weak or no empirical support. The conclusion of the study is that the evidence-base for MBIs for CMDs in the acute phase is weak.
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In a meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials for generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, mindfulness-based interventions had lower post-intervention symptoms than nonactive controls in all studies except one, with g = -0.65 (95% CI -0.97 to -0.32).
“in one meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for GAD symptoms [57], compared with nonactive controls (including no treatment, open trials, education, TAU), MBIs had lower post-intervention symptoms in all studies except one (g = −0.65, 95% CI [−0.97, −0.32]) [58].”
From Psychotherapeutic treatments for generalized anxiety disorder: cognitive and behavioral therapies, enhancement strategies, and emerging efforts (2022) · cites this paper as [57]
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- Authors
- Hedman-Lagerlöf, M., Hedman-Lagerlöf, E., & Öst, L.-G.
- Affiliations
- Stockholm University (SE)
- ORCID
- Öst, Lars-Göran
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2018-02-19
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 13
- Pages
- 2116-2129
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2793902959
- Cited by
- 61
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2025: 8 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 4
- FWCI
- 1.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Stockholms Läns Landsting
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- mindfulness-based interventions, common mental disorders, acute phase treatment, evidence base, treatment effectiveness, methodological quality, risk of bias, publication bias, mental illness
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Humans, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Mindfulness
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