The DOI matches its Crossref record; 90 of the 90 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Mindfulness Training and Physical Health: Mechanisms and Outcomes
Open accessAbstract
Objective: There has been substantial research and public interest in mindfulness interventions, biological pathways, and health for the past two decades. This article reviews recent developments in understanding relationships between mindfulness interventions and physical health. Methods: A selective review was conducted with the goal of synthesizing conceptual and empirical relationships between mindfulness interventions and physical health outcomes. Results: Initial randomized controlled trials in this area suggest that mindfulness interventions can improve pain management outcomes among chronic pain populations, and there is preliminary evidence for mindfulness interventions improving specific stress-related disease outcomes in some patient populations (i.e., clinical colds, psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome, posttraumatic stress disorder, diabetes, HIV). We offer a stress-buffering framework for the observed beneficial effects of mindfulness interventions and summarize supporting biobehavioral and neuroimaging studies that provide plausible mechanistic pathways linking mindfulness interventions with positive physical health outcomes. Conclusions: We conclude with new opportunities for research and clinical implementations to consider in the next two decades.
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“MBIs have been shown to decrease inflammation42,43”
From Feasibility, Acceptability, and Efficacy of Mindfulness Training in People With Upper Motor Neuron Disorders: A Systematic Review (2022) · cites this paper as [43]
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“decrease cortisol levels by altering hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function,42–45”
From Feasibility, Acceptability, and Efficacy of Mindfulness Training in People With Upper Motor Neuron Disorders: A Systematic Review (2022) · cites this paper as [43]
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“Creswell et al 32,33 suggest that mindfulness interventions foster resilience to stress in the brain by enhancing connectivity within stress regulatory regions of the prefrontal cortex and decreasing connectivity in regions of the brain controlling the fight-or-flight stress response.”
From Nursing Implications of Mindfulness-Informed Interventions for Stroke Survivors and Their Families. (2022) · cites this paper as [33]
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“Furthermore, their work suggests that mindfulness training can buffer the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal response to acute stress.”
From Nursing Implications of Mindfulness-Informed Interventions for Stroke Survivors and Their Families. (2022) · cites this paper as [33]
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“Intervention studies have shown promising results for mindfulness interventions in patients living with long term health conditions and chronic pain (31, 32).”
From Mindfulness as Predictor of Itch Catastrophizing in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis: Results of a Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study (2021) · cites this paper as [32]
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“the burgeoning literature on mindfulness for various medical conditions and for promoting behavior change has been promising. 77”
From Randomized Controlled Trials of Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Interventions Over the Past Two Decades: A Bibliometric Analysis. (2021) · cites this paper as [77]
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“Mindfulness practices help reduce stress by altering brain structures and activity in regions associated with attention and emotional regulation [36,37].”
From The Impact of an Online Mindfulness-Based Practice Program on the Mental Health of Brazilian Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2023) · cites this paper as [37]
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Citations
Cites
Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition.
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“5-hour classes, a day-long retreat, and daily audio-guided home practice (13).”
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Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects
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“awareness, to one's present moment experiences (5,8,9).”
Self-citationNeural regulation of endocrine and autonomic stress responses
Ulrich-Lai, Y. M., & Herman, J. P. (2009) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2647 · Cited by 3,318 · cited 1×
“The central nucleus of the amygdala has long been considered an important node for gating the central stress response (50,51), and recent studies suggest that mindful awareness and mindfulness interventions are associated withmodulations in amygdala structure and function (52–55).”
Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function
Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2648 · Cited by 3,299 · cited 2×
“For example, we have recently shown that mindfulness training decreases stress-related resting state functional connectivity of the amygdala with subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (53), a pathway that may be important in coordinating the brain's central fight-or-flight stress response (51).”
Psychological Stress and Disease
Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., & Miller, G. E. (2007) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.298.14.1685 · Cited by 3,168 · cited 1×
“Indeed, the extant mindfulness intervention RCT outcomes described previously are consistent with this framework, because stress is known to trigger the onset or exacerbation of symptoms in chronic pain, psoriasis, IBS, PTSD, and diabetes (46).”
Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691611419671 · Cited by 3,024
Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation
Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J. F. (2003) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000077505.67574.e3 · Cited by 2,925 · cited 1×
“Participants were randomly assigned to (1) mindfulness training that included the standard attention monitoring and acceptance skills training (monitor + accept), (2) mindfulness training that included attention monitoring skills training only (monitor only), or (3) control.”
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–252 of 252
Ong, A. D., Moskowitz, J. T., Wethington, E., Addington, E. L., Sanni, M., Goktas, S., Sluys, E., Swong, S., Kim, P., & Reid, M. C. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4094546
Positive Association between Dispositional Mindfulness and Knee OsteoarthritisCommon Health ProblemsPreprint
Chu, S., Chiu, A., & Wang, H. (2023) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2798757/v1
Baum, N. H., Kahn, M. J., & Daigrepont, J. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-37623-8_28
Tennor, M., Gioia, D., Anderson, J., Stephens, S., Lane, W. G., & Satchell, S. (2023) · Social Work in Mental Health · doi:10.1080/15332985.2023.2282929
“There is growing literature to support the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for a variety of physical and mental health concerns (Creswell, Lindsay, Villalba, & Chin, 2019; Kabat-Zinn, 2013; Williams, Kabat-Zinn, Williams, Teasdale, & Segal, 2012) and with a variety of populations…”
BackgroundAminifar, S., Hidaji, M. B., Mujembari, A. K., Mansoobifar, M., & Peyvandi, P. (2022) · doi:10.61838/kman.aftj.3.5.14
Integrating Mindfulness and Addiction Awareness in Higher Education
Singha, R. (2024) · Advances in higher education and professional development book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-0343-6.ch014
Dispositional mindfulness: Is it related to knee osteoarthritis population’s common health problems?Preprint
Chu, S., Lin, L., Chiu, A., & Wang, H. (2024) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2798757/v2
Dispositional mindfulness: Is it related to knee osteoarthritis population’s common health problems?Preprint
Chu, S., Lin, L., Chiu, A., & Wang, H. (2024) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2798757/v3
Samadi, B., Mirzaian, B., & Ghanadzadegan, H. A. (2023) · Journal of Assessment and Research in Applied Counseling · doi:10.61838/kman.jarac.5.5.14
Correlates of Affectual, Associational, and Functional Solidarity among Digitally Literate Adults
Ochoa, J. C., Parinas, S. M., & Yalong, B. P. (2024) · Journal of interdisciplinary perspectives · doi:10.69569/jip.2024.0076
Did Anyone Say Mindfulness and Self-compassion in the Capitalist World? Oh No! Wait. Yes, Please!
Pacaci, Y. (2024) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/s2051-233320240000010007
Mindfulness Meditation: A Hellenic Perspective Through Quantitative and Qualitative Study
Callifronas, M. D., & Kaltsouni, A. (2025) · Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research · doi:10.9734/jammr/2025/v37i15706
Ramstetter, L., Klackl, J., Jonas, E., & Spilker, G. (2025) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-025-02525-8
“…the intra personal effects of MM have attracted enormous scholarly attention, showing that both dispositional mindfulness and mindfulness inductions benefit psychological and physical health and cognitive functioning (Creswell, 2017; Creswell et al., 2019; Jha et al., 2007; Keng et al., 2011).”
Mindfulness in U.S. Military Veterans: Prevalence, Correlates, and Functional Significance
Kang, H., Fischer, I. C., Na, P. J., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2025) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.70059
Thuring, M., & Reid, G. (2025) · Discover Psychology · doi:10.1007/s44202-025-00336-5
“Mindfulness has been found to be beneficial for a wide range of somatic [44] and psychological disorders [45], although further research is needed to better understand the specific mechanisms through which mindfulness interventions improve mental disorder outcomes.”
Velázquez-Paniagua, M., Gomez‐Virgilio, L., Gómez-Chavarín, B. M., & Sampieri-Cabrera, R. (2025) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-6598726/v1
Types of approaches to mindfulness in young adults. Insights from original research
Dębska, E. (2025) · Rocznik Andragogiczny · doi:10.12775/ra.2025.011
“In each of these areas, mindfulness is practised to improve individual well-being, as supported by research findings (Williams et al., 2001; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Creswell et al., 2019).”
Wu, X., Su, J., Yan, L., Wu, J., & Gan, Y. (2025) · PsyCh Journal · doi:10.1002/pchj.70018
Kloos, T., Elßner, A. C., Berlin, P., Rief, W., & Riecke, J. (2025) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-025-02621-9
“Furthermore, research suggests that mindfulness training has positive impacts on physical health (Creswell et al., 2019).”
The relationship between mental resilience and the implementation of the five daily prayers
Rochmawati, D. H., Febriana, B., & Susanto, W. (2025) · Multidisciplinary Science Journal · doi:10.31893/multiscience.2026042
Mechanisms of Mindfulness Interventions: Perspectives from Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT)
Lindsay, E. K., Berry, D. R., & Dutcher, J. M. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-91451-5_6
Self-citationOuyang, B., Gao, J., Zhou, X., Gao, L., & He, H. (2025) · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103298
Michalak, J., Röer, J. P., Zierahn, K., & Kelava, A. (2025) · Archive for the Psychology of Religion · doi:10.1177/00846724251381842
Singh, A., Paul, F. A., Shanbhag, T., & Khanra, S. (2025) · Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions · doi:10.1080/1533256x.2025.2589090
“Its foundation rests upon three overlapping fields: (1) I ndian philosophical psychology including Sankhya , Yoga , and Vedanta traditions that emphasize self-awareness and disciplined action; (2) empirically validated psychotherapies such as CBT, MBRP, and ACT (Creswell et al., 2019; Li et al., 2017); and (3) metapho…”
InfluentialGamaiunova, L., & Pellerin, N. (2025) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-025-02721-6
Associations Between Trait Mindfulness and Distress in Fertility Patients
Dillard, A. J., Meier, B. P., Williams, T. J., Wolfe, M. B. W., & Thakur, M. (2025) · European Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1027/2512-8442/a000189
Navegar em marés digitais: atenção como eixo estratégico
Cirani, C. B. S., Ramos, H. R., & Ribeiro, I. (2025) · Revista Ibero-Americana de Estratégia · doi:10.5585/2025.30123
Does video game playing stimulate mindfulness?
Chica, Ó. D., Frade, A. T., & Fernández, D. S. (2025) · Human Technology · doi:10.14254/1795-6889.2025.21-3.3
“…Gracia, Tomás & Subirats, 2020), health and well-being in children and adolescents (Semple & Burke, 2019), physical well-being, especially in populations with pain (Creswell, Lindsay, Villalba & Chin, 2019), as well as psychological well-being in general (Tang et al., 2019), has been evidenced.”
Ageeli, M., Flynn, M., Lopes, M. P., İnce, B., Alves, D., Westwood, S. J., Campbell, I. C., & Schmidt, U. H. (2026) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-025-01748-9
“Studies using various forms of MT have reported clinical improvement across a range of physical [43] and mental health problems [44].”
Blades, R. B., Boyle, C. C., Eisenberger, N. I., Cole, S. W., Korecki, J. R., Fuligni, A. J., & Bower, J. E. (2026) · Brain Behavior and Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2026.106284 · Cited by 1
Mindfulness and Adjustment to Skin Conditions
Hughes, O., & Thompson, A. R. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-89095-6_17
Social Media and Influencer Marketing for Global Expansion
Cardilya, M. H., & Selvabaskar, S. (2026) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/979-8-2600-1343-4.ch005
de Mendonça, N. R. F., de Santana, A. N., de Aguiar, D. R., Costa, J. C., Hassed, C. S., Bueno, J. M. H., & Demarzo, M. (2026) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-026-02841-7
“…studied and linked to psychological and physiological benefits, such as improved sensory perception, emotional regulation, psychological well-being, anxiety reduction, and decreased depressive symptoms (e.g., Calderone et al., 2024; Creswell et al., 2019; Gu et al., 2015; Sköld et al., 2025).”
Guo, M., Zhang, X., Liu, A., Wang, P., Gu, L., Zhang, S., Jia, O., & Kirby, J. N. (2026) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-026-02859-x
“Moreover, mindfulness interventions have also been shown to alleviate chronic pain (Creswell et al., 2019), improve sleep quality, and reduce difficulty falling asleep and frequent awakening (Rusch et al., 2019), as well as enhance immune function (Black & Slavich, 2016).”
The Role of Emotional Well-Being in Diabetes Prevention and Management
Qin, W., Allen, J. O., Mannor, K., Rodríguez-Putnam, A., Kalesnikava, V. A., & Mezuk, B. R. (2026) · Annual Review of Nutrition · doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-061824-063618
“Indeed, interventions that leverage principles of stress management, such as mindfulness training, are being evaluated as part of person-centered diabetes care (23, 95).”
Anand, L., Khoury, B., & Bois, S. N. D. (2026) · The Family Journal · doi:10.1177/10664807261436775
Duda, A. T., Clarke, A. R., & Barry, R. J. (2026) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-026-02883-x
“…non-judgmental awareness to the present moment, has become widely practiced for its proven effectiveness in alleviating stress, enhancing well-being, and providing a range of additional physical and psychological health benefits (Creswell, 2017; Creswell et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2021).”
Cheng, Y., Xia, Y., Zhang, W., & Yang, F. (2026) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-026-07698-y
Semphuet, T., Thaweechat, T., Thosakul, P., Awae, M., Kaewsikhao, Y., Mauger, A. R., & Piya-amornphan, N. (2026) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-026-02910-x
Mindfulness for Myasthenia Gravis
Wong, S. H. (2026) · Muscle & Nerve · doi:10.1002/mus.70296
Jin, J., Chen, D., He, M., Hu, A., Hofmann, S. G., & Liu, X. (2026) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.70304
Rosenfeld, L. F. G., Silton, R. L., & Yuen, E. K. (2026) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116399
Sharma, D. (2026) · Journal of The Indian Academy of Geriatrics · doi:10.4103/jiag.jiag_73_26
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Účinnost psychologických intervencí v léčbě arteriální hypertenze: přehledová studie.
Kozáková, R., Bužgová, R., Bobčíková, K., Hanyášová, H., & Zeleníková, R. (2026) · Cor et Vasa · doi:10.33678/cor.2026.011
Liu, C., Tan, W., Liu, Y., Nie, Y., Ma, W., Liang, J., Zeng, S., Wu, F., Du, K., & Hou, L. (2026) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs16091630 · Cited by 1
“…emotion regulation, whereas physical activity may affect stress through behavioural activation, improved sleep and affect, and physiological pathways involving stress reactivity and neuroendocrine regulation (Bohlmeijer et al., 2010; Jain et al., 2007; Tang et al., 2015; Creswell et al., 2019).”
Lu, J., Johnson, K. A., Parish, P., McIntosh, S., & Albright, D. L. (2026) · Community Mental Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10597-026-01736-0
Duda, A. T., Clarke, A. R., & Barry, R. J. (2026) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.70425
Combining Behavior Change Strategies to Develop Meditation App Habits: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Stecher, C. D., Cloonan, S., Huberty, J., Hanley, A. W., Lecy, N., & Berardi, V. (2026) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-026-03001-7
Mindful Eating and Its Role in Physical and Mental Health: A Comprehensive Review
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Metadata
- Authors
- Creswell, J. D., Lindsay, E. K., Villalba, D. K., & Chin, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Corresponding author
- Creswell, J. David
- Venue
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Published
- 2019-04
- Volume
- 81
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 224-232
- ISSN
- 0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
- 1534-7796
- PMC
- PMC6613793
- OpenAlex
- W2913434882
- Semantic Scholar
- 8867cd2d818afb74ba3a269c72fa0e0653a68d13
- Cited by
- 252
- References
- 89
- Citations by year
- 2026: 30 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 8
- FWCI
- 4.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (F32AT009508, R21AT008493, R01AT008685)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, psychology, and well-being
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- mindfulness training, mindfulness-based interventions, physical health, chronic pain, stress buffering, stress-related disorders, psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetes mellitus, HIV, neuroimaging, biobehavioral mechanisms
- MeSH terms
- Health Status, Humans, Inflammation, Stress, Psychological, Health Behavior, Mindfulness
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