The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials
Open accessAbstract
In response to questions regarding the scientific basis for mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), we evaluated their empirical status by systematically reviewing meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We searched six databases for effect sizes based on four or more trials that did not combine passive and active controls. Heterogeneity, moderators, tests of publication bias, risk of bias, and adverse effects were also extracted. Representative effect sizes based on the largest number of studies were identified across a wide range of populations, problems, interventions, comparisons, and outcomes (PICOS). A total of 160 effect sizes were reported in 44 meta-analyses ( k = 336 RCTs, N = 30,483 participants). MBIs showed superiority to passive controls across most PICOS ( ds = 0.10–0.89). Effects were typically smaller and less often statistically significant compared with active controls. MBIs were similar or superior to specific active controls and evidence-based treatments. Heterogeneity was typically moderate. Few consistent moderators were found. Results were generally robust to publication bias, although other important sources of bias were identified. Reporting of adverse effects was inconsistent. Statistical power may be lacking in meta-analyses, particularly for comparisons with active controls. Because MBIs show promise across some PICOS, future RCTs and meta-analyses should build on identified strengths and limitations of this literature.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Much of the self-transcendence literature relies on self-report instruments that face issues of construct overlap and response bias.
“Much of the ST literature relies on self-report instruments such as the Self-Transcendence Scale (109) and the Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment (38), which—like other contemplative measures—face issues of construct overlap and response bias (110).”
From The therapeutic role of self-transcendence in moral injury recovery: theory, mechanisms, and clinical implications (2026) · cites this paper as [110]
The Discussion’s “Potential Sources of Bias” section says that self-report outcomes in mindfulness-based intervention research are vulnerable to social desirability and other biases. It does not establish construct overlap or assess the Self-Transcendence Scale, the Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment, or self-transcendence literature generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMindfulness meditation has shown promise for reducing burnout in clinicians.
“Mindfulness meditation (MM) is one individual‐level solution that has shown promise for reducing burnout in clinicians, but has not been studied in GCs.”
From The effects of mindfulness meditation on burnout in clinical genetic counselors: A three-arm randomized controlled trial (2026) · cites this paper as Goldberg et al., 2022
The Results > Synthesis of Results (page not available) report that mindfulness-based interventions performed better than passive controls for healthcare professionals and trainees. The copy does not identify burnout as an outcome of those comparisons, so it supports promise in that population but not the specific claim about reducing burnout. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMeditation trials with passive controls can overestimate effect sizes by 30%-40% compared to those with active controls.
“Meditation trials with passive controls can overestimate effect sizes by 30%–40% compared to those with active controls (Goldberg et al., 2022; Goyal et al., 2014).”
From The effects of mindfulness meditation on burnout in clinical genetic counselors: A three-arm randomized controlled trial (2026) · cites this paper as Goldberg et al., 2022
The Results (Synthesis of Results, page not available) say effect sizes were generally smaller when mindfulness-based interventions were compared with active rather than passive controls. Our copy does not quantify that difference as 30%–40% or establish that passive controls overestimate effects by that amount. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA 2022 systematic review found mindfulness superior to active controls for stress in healthcare providers.
“A 2022 systematic review found mindfulness superior to active controls for stress in healthcare providers (Cascales‐Pérez et al., 2021; Goldberg et al., 2022).”
From The effects of mindfulness meditation on burnout in clinical genetic counselors: A three-arm randomized controlled trial (2026) · cites this paper as Goldberg et al., 2022
The Results (Synthesis of Results, Comparison with active controls, Post-treatment; page unavailable) report superiority over active controls both for healthcare professionals/trainees as a population and for stress as an outcome. They do not report a stress-specific finding for healthcare providers. The same section says mindfulness was not superior to specific active controls for stress, so the claimed population–outcome combination is not established by this paper. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredComparisons to a passive control can both overestimate effect sizes and identify effectiveness erroneously.
“These findings need to be interpreted with caution, given that they arise from secondary analyses, and because it has been well demonstrated that comparisons to a passive control can both overestimate effect sizes and identify effectiveness erroneously (Davidson & Kaszniak, 2015; Goldberg et al., 2022; Kinser & Robins, 2013).”
From The effects of mindfulness meditation on burnout in clinical genetic counselors: A three-arm randomized controlled trial (2026) · cites this paper as Goldberg et al., 2022
The Method (Eligibility Criteria; page unavailable) says that control-group strength changes the magnitude of mindfulness-intervention effects and that passive controls cannot account for nonspecific treatment ingredients. The Results (Synthesis of Results; page unavailable) report smaller, less often significant effects against active controls. This supports caution about inflated effect sizes, but the paper does not establish that passive controls identify effectiveness erroneously. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Meta-analyses involving hundreds of RCTs suggest that meditation training can decrease psychological symptoms and increase aspects of well-being and positive functioning.
“Meta-analyses involving hundreds of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that meditation training can decrease psychological symptoms (eg, depression, anxiety, stress) and increase aspects of well-being and positive functioning (eg, meaning in life, compassion, prosocial behavior) [6-15].”
From Testing the efficacy of a multicomponent, self-guided, smartphone-based meditation app: Three-armed randomized controlled trial (2020) · cites this paper as [15]
The Results (Synthesis of Results; page unavailable) report that mindfulness-based interventions outperformed passive controls on psychiatric symptoms and well-being, drawing on meta-analyses of RCTs. This supports the sentence’s broad suggestion, but the cited results do not establish increases in its specific examples of meaning in life, compassion, or prosocial behavior. The paper also reports less consistent benefits against active controls. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMBIs have demonstrated efficacy in addressing comorbid conditions, such as depressive symptoms and stress, which are frequently associated with SUD.
“MBIs have demonstrated efficacy in addressing comorbid conditions, such as depressive symptoms and stress, which are frequently associated with SUD [24, 25].”
From The feasibility of mindfulness‐based relapse prevention for adults with substance use disorders (illicit drugs) in a Chinese population: A pilot randomized controlled trial. (2026) · cites this paper as [24]
The Results > Synthesis of Results (page unavailable) reports that MBIs outperformed active controls for depression and on measures of stress at post-treatment. It does not establish that those benefits were measured as comorbid symptoms in people with substance use disorders, or that depression and stress are frequently associated with SUD. The same section reports no sustained advantage over active controls for stress at follow-up. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPrevious literature indicates that mindfulness-based interventions were slightly superior to other active controls in adults when analysing a variety of health outcomes, including stress.
“This is consistent with previous literature whereby mindfulness-based interventions were slightly superior to other active controls in adults when analysing a variety of health outcomes, including stress (Goldberg et al., 2022).”
From Effectiveness of stress management interventions to change cortisol levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2024) · cites this paper as Goldberg et al., 2022
Previous meta-analyses found larger magnitude of effects specific to mindfulness interventions when compared to passive controls, with smaller yet still significant effects when compared to some active controls.
“and larger magnitude of effects specific to mindfulness interventions were when compared to passive controls, with smaller, yet still significant effects when compared to some active controls (Goldberg et al., 2022).”
From Effectiveness of stress management interventions to change cortisol levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2024) · cites this paper as Goldberg et al., 2022
Strong evidence indicates that MBIs may benefit psychological health, and less so physical health, in both clinical and non-clinical groups.
“there is overwhelming evidence that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) might be helpful for psychological and to a lesser extent physical health in clinical5,6 and non-clinical populations7,8.”
From A common factors perspective on mindfulness-based interventions (2022) · cites this paper as [5]
MBIs may reduce psychosomatic outcomes such as pain and sleep relative to no treatment, but the evidence is less robust, especially for sleep, with fewer studies and confidence intervals including zero.
“MBIs might reduce psychosomatic outcomes like pain and sleep relative to no treatment, although evidence is less robust particularly for sleep than that for psychological symptoms, with fewer studies available and confidence intervals that include zero5.”
From A common factors perspective on mindfulness-based interventions (2022) · cites this paper as [5]
Some evidence indicates MBIs slightly outperform specific active controls on psychiatric symptoms but not physical health conditions.
“There is some evidence that MBIs slightly outperform specific active controls (other interventions intended to be therapeutic, such as physical exercise or relaxation training54) on psychiatric symptoms6 but not physical health conditions5.”
From A common factors perspective on mindfulness-based interventions (2022) · cites this paper as [5]
Differences between MBIs and other therapies are small when compared directly in RCTs (SMD ≈ ≤0.20).
“Differences between MBIs and other therapies are small when compared directly in RCTs (standardized mean difference ≈ ≤ 0.20, limited relative efficacy5).”
From A common factors perspective on mindfulness-based interventions (2022) · cites this paper as [5]
If control conditions are interpreted as a homogeneous group, interventions compared with stronger control conditions may be perceived as less effective.
“If control conditions are interpreted as a homogeneous group, interventions compared with stronger control conditions may be perceived as less effective18,26.”
From Selecting and describing control conditions in mobile health randomized controlled trials: a proposed typology (2023) · cites this paper as [26]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
1 retracted
Gotink, R. A., Chu, P., Busschbach, J. J. V., Benson, H., Fricchione, G. L., & Hunink, M. G. M. (2015) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124344 · Cited by 539 · see citing works
RetractedStatistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences
Muller, K. E., & Cohen, J. (1989) · Technometrics · doi:10.2307/1270020 · Cited by 99,588 · see citing works
Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses
Higgins, J. P. T., Thompson, S. G., Deeks, J. J., & Altman, D. G. (2003) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7414.557 · Cited by 63,139 · see citing works
Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & the PRISMA Group* (2009) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135 · Cited by 37,554 · see citing works
Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.).
Lachenbruch, P. A., & Cohen, J. (1989) · Journal of the American Statistical Association · doi:10.2307/2290095 · Cited by 37,385 · cited 3× · see citing works
“The primary effect size measure used was the standardized mean difference (i.e., Cohen’s d; Cohen, 1988).”
Methodnull (2016) · Philosophy Study · doi:10.17265/2159-5313/2016.09.003 · Cited by 28,317 · see citing works
Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions: Cochrane Book Series
(2008) · doi:10.1002/9780470712184 · Cited by 25,048 · see citing works
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009) · doi:10.1002/9780470743386 · Cited by 14,225 · see citing works
Cicchetti, D. V. (1994) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/1040-3590.6.4.284 · Cited by 9,349 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Interrater reliabilities were in the good to excellent range (i.e., κs and intraclass correlation coefficients > .60; Cicchetti, 1994).”
BackgroundPower failure: why small sample size undermines the reliability of neuroscience
Button, K. S., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Mokrysz, C., Nosek, B. A., Flint, J., Robinson, E. S. J., & Munafò, M. R. (2013) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn3475 · Cited by 7,641 · cited 2× · see citing works
“In addition, similar to recent evaluations of statistical power in neuroscience (Button et al., 2013), we also sought to assess the statistical power of meta-analyses conducted in this area.”
Background(1993) · Cited by 7,136 · see citing works
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder
Cary, G. L. (1994) · American Journal of Psychotherapy · doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1994.48.1.155 · Cited by 6,300 · see citing works
(1999) · Cited by 5,934 · see citing works
Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: a conceptual and empirical review
Baer, R. A. (2003) · Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice · doi:10.1093/clipsy.bpg015 · Cited by 4,577 · cited 2× · see citing works
“In keeping with concerns regarding small sample sizes in RCTs testing MBIs (Baer, 2003; Goldberg et al., 2017), it appears that many meta-analyses are also underpowered.”
BackgroundMindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review.
Baer, R. A. (2003) · Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice · doi:10.1093/clipsy/bpg015 · Cited by 4,576 · see citing works
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1982) · General Hospital Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/0163-8343(82)90026-3 · Cited by 4,255 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Mindfulness meditation was initially introduced in the Western biomedical context for the treatment of chronic pain (Kabat-Zinn, 1982).”
The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1 · Cited by 3,445 · see citing works
The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses
Butler, A. C., Chapman, J. E., Forman, E. M., & Beck, A. T. (2006) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2005.07.003 · Cited by 3,215 · cited 3× · see citing works
“This literature base is similar in magnitude to that used in previous large-scale evaluations of psychotherapy generally (k = 375; Smith & Glass, 1977) and cognitive behavioral therapy specifically (k = 332; Butler et al., 2006).”
MethodResult(2005) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 3,197 · see citing works
Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life
Kwee, M. G. T. (1995) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/0005-7967(95)90133-7 · Cited by 2,900 · see citing works
Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M. S., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., Berger, Z., Sleicher, D., Maron, D. D., Shihab, H. M., et al. (2014) · JAMA Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018 · Cited by 2,380 · see citing works
Meta-analysis of psychotherapy outcome studies.
Smith, M. L., & Glass, G. V. (1977) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.32.9.752 · Cited by 2,154 · cited 1× · see citing works
“This literature base is similar in magnitude to that used in previous large-scale evaluations of psychotherapy generally (k = 375; Smith & Glass, 1977) and cognitive behavioral therapy specifically (k = 332; Butler et al., 2006).”
ResultThe Great Psychotherapy Debate: The Evidence for What Makes Psychotherapy Work
Wampold, B. E. (2015) · doi:10.4324/9780203582015 · Cited by 1,773 · cited 5× · see citing works
“Moreover, instructors delivering treatments that they think will actually work has been recognized as an important factor common across various forms of psychological intervention (Wampold & Imel, 2015).”
BackgroundInfluentialChiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009) · The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0495 · Cited by 1,681 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The prototypical MBI, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; Kabat-Zinn, 2013), has been widely studied and, to some extent, disseminated in clinical and nonclinical populations (Bohlmeijer et al., 2010; Chiesa & Serretti, 2009).”
BackgroundThe effectiveness of psychotherapy: the Consumer Reports study
Seligman, M. E. P. (1995) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.50.12.965 · Cited by 1,608 · cited 2× · see citing works
“, 2008), cognitive behavioral therapy and other psychotherapies are widely perceived as efficacious by the research community and general public, recommended by providers, and paid for by managed care organizations (Beronio et al., 2014; Seligman, 1995; Wampold & Imel, 2015).”
BackgroundThe effectiveness of psychotherapy: The Consumer Reports study.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1995) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037//0003-066x.50.12.965 · Cited by 1,591 · see citing works
Van Dam, N. T., van Vugt, M. K., Vago, D. R., Schmalzl, L., Saron, C. D., Olendzki, A., Meissner, T., Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C. E., Gorchov, J., et al. (2018) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691617709589 · Cited by 1,506 · see citing works
Hoffman, S. G., & Smits, J. A. J. (2008) · The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · doi:10.4088/jcp.v69n0415 · Cited by 1,420 · see citing works
How Many Studies Do You Need?: A Primer on Statistical Power for Meta-Analysis
Valentine, J. C., Pigott, T. D., & Rothstein, H. R. (2010) · Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics · doi:10.3102/1076998609346961 · Cited by 1,294 · cited 1× · see citing works
“(2013) to evaluate primary studies in neuroscience, we examined the statistical power for the included meta-analytic effect size estimates using standard formulas for a random effect meta-analysis (Valentine et al., 2010).”
BackgroundRosenberg, M. S. (2005) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2005.tb01004.x · Cited by 1,285 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Six studies reported a fail-safe N (i.e., the number of unpublished null findings that would need to exist to nullify an observed effect; Rosenberg, 2005).”
BackgroundThe heterogeneity statistic I2 can be biased in small meta-analyses
von Hippel, P. T. (2015) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-015-0024-z · Cited by 1,229 · cited 1× · see citing works
“A third limitation was the moderate degree of heterogeneity within the included studies (compounded by uncertainty in the I 2 estimates themselves given the 126 Goldberg et al. small number of studies for some effect sizes; von Hippel, 2015).”
BackgroundMindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Goldberg, S. B., Tucker, R. P., Greene, P. A., Davidson, R. J., Wampold, B. E., Kearney, D. J., & Simpson, T. L. (2018) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.10.011 · Cited by 1,145 · cited 4× · see citing works
“76]) but did not differ from zero and was based on only four studies (Goldberg et al., 2018).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationWampold, B. E., Mondin, G. W., Moody, M., Stich, F., Benson, K., & Ahn, H.-N. (1997) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.122.3.203 · Cited by 1,091 · cited 1× · see citing works
“One potential solution are designs that compare MBIs with other therapies that are intended to be therapeutic (i.e., bona fide treatments; Wampold et al., 1997).”
BackgroundCuijpers, P., Berking, M., Andersson, G., Quigley, L., Kleiboer, A., & Dobson, K. S. (2013) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/070674371305800702 · Cited by 1,066 · cited 2× · see citing works
“This magnitude of heterogeneity is similar to estimates found in large-scale meta-analyses of evidence-based psychotherapies (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy; Cuijpers et al., 2011, 2013).”
MethodResultMindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression
Kumari, D., & Satyapal, N. (2024) · Industrial Psychiatry Journal · doi:10.4103/ipj.ipj_127_24 · Cited by 1,005 · see citing works
Spijkerman, M. P. J., Pots, W. T. M., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2016) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2016.03.009 · Cited by 975 · cited 2× · see citing works
“, not restricted to MBSR or MBCT) or the delivery format (e.g., training could be delivered through mobile health technology; Spijkerman et al., 2016).”
BackgroundWhat defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft
Crane, R. S., Brewer, J., Feldman, C., Kabat-Zinn, J., Santorelli, S., Williams, J. M. G., & Kuyken, W. (2017) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291716003317 · Cited by 868 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Like Dunning et al., we required mindfulness practice to be the central component of the intervention (i.e., unlike acceptance and commitment therapy, Hayes et al., 1999, or dialectical behavior therapy, Linehan, 1993, which would be considered “mindfulness-informed,” Crane et al., 2017, p. 991).”
MethodBohlmeijer, E., Prenger, R., Taal, E., & Cuijpers, P. (2010) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.10.005 · Cited by 822 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The prototypical MBI, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; Kabat-Zinn, 2013), has been widely studied and, to some extent, disseminated in clinical and nonclinical populations (Bohlmeijer et al., 2010; Chiesa & Serretti, 2009).”
BackgroundKuyken, W., Warren, F. C., Taylor, R. S., Whalley, B., Crane, C., Bondolfi, G., Hayes, R., Huijbers, M., Ma, H., Schweizer, S., et al. (2016) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0076 · Cited by 821 · see citing works
A meta-analysis of the effects of cognitive therapy in depressed patients
Gloaguen, V., Cottraux, J., Cucherat, M., & Blackburn, I.-M. (1998) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/s0165-0327(97)00199-7 · Cited by 809 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…cognitive behavioral therapy have shown a similar degree of heterogeneity (Cuijpers et al., 2013), have relied exclusively on self-report measures (Gloaguen et al., 1998), have been composed of studies primarily using completer rather than intention-to-treat analyses (Hofmann & Smits, 2008),…”
MethodPiet, J., & Hougaard, E. (2011) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.05.002 · Cited by 807 · see citing works
Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation.
Davidson, R. J., & Kaszniak, A. W. (2015) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/a0039512 · Cited by 773 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…effects (Coronado-Montoya et al., 2016), limitations associated with a reliance on self-report measures (especially of mindfulness itself; Davidson & Kaszniak, 2015; Grossman, 2008), and a host of study design features that have largely not improved over time (e.g., small sample sizes,…”
BackgroundSelf-citationWhat Do We Really Know About Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?
Bishop, S. R. (2002) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00006842-200201000-00010 · Cited by 748 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Thus, it seems the question raised by Bishop (2002) almost two decades ago remains: What do we really know about MBIs?”
BackgroundFu, R., Gartlehner, G., Grant, M., Shamliyan, T., Sedrakyan, A., Wilt, T. J., Griffith, L., Oremus, M., Raina, P., Ismaila, A., et al. (2011) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.08.010 · Cited by 730 · cited 1× · see citing works
“To strengthen the precision of our results, we adopted the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommendation of requiring at least four primary studies (Fu et al., 2011).”
MethodBehavioural treatment for chronic low-back pain
Henschke, N., Ostelo, R. W., van Tulder, M. W., Vlaeyen, J. W., Morley, S., Assendelft, W. J., & Main, C. J. (2010) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd002014.pub3 · Cited by 718 · see citing works
Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2009) · Canadian Medical Association Journal · doi:10.1503/cmaj.081086 · Cited by 716 · see citing works
(2004) · Cited by 673 · see citing works
Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2011) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2010.08.011 · Cited by 650 · see citing works
Dunning, D. L., Griffiths, K., Kuyken, W., Crane, C., Foulkes, L., Parker, J., & Dalgleish, T. (2019) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.12980 · Cited by 610 · see citing works
An Open, Large-Scale, Collaborative Effort to Estimate the Reproducibility of Psychological Science
Open Science Collaboration (2012) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691612462588 · Cited by 605 · see citing works
Mindfulness mediates the physiological markers of stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., Jenkins, Z. M., & Ski, C. F. (2017) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.08.004 · Cited by 579 · see citing works
Grossman, P., & Van Dam, N. T. (2011) · Contemporary Buddhism · doi:10.1080/14639947.2011.564841 · Cited by 548 · see citing works
Kuyken, W., Hayes, R., Barrett, B., Byng, R., Dalgleish, T., Kessler, D., Lewis, G., Watkins, E., Brejcha, C., Cardy, J., et al. (2015) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(14)62222-4 · Cited by 527 · see citing works
Galante, J., Dufour, G., Vainre, M., Wagner, A. P., Stochl, J., Benton, A., Lathia, N., Howarth, E., & Jones, P. B. (2018) · The Lancet Public Health · doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(17)30231-1 · Cited by 516 · see citing works
On measuring mindfulness in psychosomatic and psychological research
Grossman, P. (2008) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.02.001 · Cited by 514 · cited 2× · see citing works
“, 2016), limitations associated with a reliance on self-report measures (especially of mindfulness itself; Davidson & Kaszniak, 2015; Grossman, 2008), and a host of study design features that have largely not improved over time (e.”
BackgroundInterpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression: A Meta-Analysis
Cuijpers, P., Geraedts, A. S., van Oppen, P., Andersson, G., Markowitz, J. C., & van Straten, A. (2011) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.10101411 · Cited by 511 · cited 1× · see citing works
“This magnitude of heterogeneity is similar to estimates found in large-scale meta-analyses of evidence-based psychotherapies (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy; Cuijpers et al., 2011, 2013).”
ResultRusch, H. L., Rosario, M., Levison, L. M., Olivera, A., Livingston, W. S., Wu, T., & Gill, J. M. (2019) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.13996 · Cited by 500 · see citing works
Review and evaluation of mindfulness-based iPhone apps
Mani, M., Kavanagh, D. J., Hides, L., & Stoyanov, S. R. (2015) · JMIR mHealth and uHealth · doi:10.2196/mhealth.4328 · Cited by 495 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Hundreds of smartphone applications offer mindfulness-related content (Mani et al., 2015).”
BackgroundStrauss, C., Cavanagh, K., Oliver, A., & Pettman, D. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0096110 · Cited by 495 · see citing works
Donald, J. N., Sahdra, B. K., Van Zanden, B., Duineveld, J. J., Atkins, P. W. B., Marshall, S. L., & Ciarrochi, J. (2019) · British Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjop.12338 · Cited by 371 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Moreover, meta-analyses of this literature have at times come to contrasting conclusions even when evaluating theoretically similar constructs and presumably somewhat overlapping primary studies (e.g., prosocial effects of meditation; Donald et al., 2019; Kreplin et al., 2018).”
ResultLindsay, E. K., Young, S., Brown, K. W., Smyth, J. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2019) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1813588116 · Cited by 344 · cited 1× · see citing works
“With few exceptions (e.g., comparison conditions that involve sham or dismantled meditation; Lindsay et al., 2019; Zeidan et al., 2010), it is typically not possible to blind participants and mindfulness instructors to the condition they are receiving or providing.”
BackgroundCillessen, L., Johannsen, M., Speckens, A. E. M., & Zachariae, R. (2019) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.5214 · Cited by 326 · see citing works
Effects of Brief and Sham Mindfulness Meditation on Mood and Cardiovascular Variables
Zeidan, F., Johnson, S. K., Gordon, N. S., & Goolkasian, P. (2010) · The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0321 · Cited by 319 · cited 1× · see citing works
“With few exceptions (e.g., comparison conditions that involve sham or dismantled meditation; Lindsay et al., 2019; Zeidan et al., 2010), it is typically not possible to blind participants and mindfulness instructors to the condition they are receiving or providing.”
BackgroundDoing no harm in mindfulness-based programs: Conceptual issues and empirical findings
Baer, R., Crane, C., Miller, E., & Kuyken, W. (2019) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2019.01.001 · Cited by 307 · see citing works
Wampold, B. E., Minami, T., Tierney, S. C., Baskin, T. W., & Bhati, K. S. (2005) · Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1002/jclp.20129 · Cited by 297 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The challenge of applying the double-blind placebo-controlled design is not unique to MBIs but exists for all behavioral interventions (Wampold et al., 2005).”
Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention
Dimidjian, S., & Segal, Z. V. (2015) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/a0039589 · Cited by 291 · cited 1× · see citing works
“For MBIs with established efficacy (e.g., MBCT for prevention depression relapse), dissemination and implementation RCTs may be appropriate (Dimidjian & Segal, 2015).”
BackgroundCarlson, L. E., Doll, R., Stephen, J., Faris, P., Tamagawa, R., Drysdale, E., & Speca, M. (2013) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2012.47.5210 · Cited by 282 · see citing works
Haller, H., Winkler, M. M., Klose, P., Dobos, G., Kümmel, S., & Cramer, H. (2017) · Acta Oncologica · doi:10.1080/0284186x.2017.1342862 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
The effects of fifteen evidence-supported therapies for adult depression: A meta-analytic review
Cuijpers, P., Karyotaki, E., de Wit, L., & Ebert, D. D. (2020) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503307.2019.1649732 · Cited by 276 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Having a publicly available database of MBI RCTs with associated effect sizes (as has been done for psychotherapies for depression; Cuijpers et al., 2020) could facilitate future large-scale, open science meta-analyses of this literature.”
Background(2018) · PubMed · Cited by 266 · see citing works
The role of method in treatment effectiveness research: Evidence from meta-analysis.
Wilson, D. B., & Lipsey, M. W. (2001) · Psychological Methods · doi:10.1037/1082-989x.6.4.413 · Cited by 261 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Although some previous reviews have conducted a second-order meta-analysis by quantitatively combining results across included meta-analyses (e.g., Wilson & Lipsey, 2001), this approach has the substantial limitation of overrepresenting studies published earlier (that may be more likely to appear…”
MethodResearcher allegiance in psychotherapy outcome research: An overview of reviews
Munder, T., Brütsch, O., Leonhart, R., Gerger, H., & Barth, J. (2013) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.02.002 · Cited by 260 · cited 1× · see citing works
“However, even for these comparisons, it is crucial that researcher allegiance to MBIs be balanced with allegiance to the comparison condition (Goldberg & Tucker, 2020; Munder et al., 2013).”
BackgroundEich, E. (2013) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797613512465 · Cited by 258 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Strategies adopted to incentivize open science (e.g., badges for preregistration, methodology disclosure statements; Eich, 2014) are promising models.”
Stratton, E., Lampit, A., Choi, I., Calvo, R. A., Harvey, S. B., & Glozier, N. (2017) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0189904 · Cited by 252 · see citing works
The limited prosocial effects of meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Kreplin, U., Farias, M., & Brazil, I. A. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20299-z · Cited by 211 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Moreover, meta-analyses of this literature have at times come to contrasting conclusions even when evaluating theoretically similar constructs and presumably somewhat overlapping primary studies (e.g., prosocial effects of meditation; Donald et al., 2019; Kreplin et al., 2018).”
ResultLeyland, A., Rowse, G., & Emerson, L.-M. (2019) · Emotion · doi:10.1037/emo0000425 · Cited by 206 · cited 1× · see citing works
“(2019) that characterize MBIs as training that includes the cultivation of a present-moment focus through the engagement in sustained meditation practice (i.e., not a single mindfulness induction; Leyland et al., 2018).”
BackgroundDoes mindfulness improve outcomes in patients with chronic pain? Systematic review and meta-analysis
Bawa, F. L. M., Mercer, S. W., Atherton, R. J., Clague, F., Keen, A., Scott, N. W., & Bond, C. M. (2015) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/bjgp15x685297 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Treating Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Anheyer, D., Haller, H., Barth, J., Lauche, R., Dobos, G., & Cramer, H. (2017) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/m16-1997 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Cooper, H., & Koenka, A. C. (2012) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/a0027119 · Cited by 196 · cited 1× · see citing works
“As noted by Cooper and Koenka (2012), no definitive, established method for this task exists.”
BackgroundBeronio, K. K., Glied, S., & Frank, R. G. (2014) · The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research · doi:10.1007/s11414-014-9412-0 · Cited by 188 · cited 1× · see citing works
“, 2008), cognitive behavioral therapy and other psychotherapies are widely perceived as efficacious by the research community and general public, recommended by providers, and paid for by managed care organizations (Beronio et al., 2014; Seligman, 1995; Wampold & Imel, 2015).”
BackgroundJonsson, U., Alaie, I., Parling, T., & Arnberg, F. K. (2014) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2014.02.005 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Khoo, E.-L., Small, R., Cheng, W., Hatchard, T., Glynn, B., Rice, D. B., Skidmore, B., Kenny, S., Hutton, B., & Poulin, P. A. (2019) · Evidence Based Mental Health · doi:10.1136/ebmental-2018-300062 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Spinelli, C., Wisener, M., & Khoury, B. (2019) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.03.003 · Cited by 170 · see citing works
Mindfulness-based stress reduction for women diagnosed with breast cancer
Schell, L. K., Monsef, I., Wöckel, A., & Skoetz, N. (2019) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd011518.pub2 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
Strohmaier, S. (2020) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01319-4 · Cited by 163 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The confluence of hundreds of RCTs testing MBIs (Strohmaier, 2020) with ongoing criticism of the evidence base highlights the need for a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of this literature.”
BackgroundSanada, K., Montero-Marin, J., Alda Díez, M., Salas-Valero, M., Pérez-Yus, M. C., Morillo, H., Demarzo, M. M. P., García-Toro, M., & García-Campayo, J. (2016) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2016.00471 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Pereira, T. V., & Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2011) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.12.012 · Cited by 160 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…of four studies for effect sizes to be included resulted in some estimates being based on only four studies (and likely less reliable as a result; Pereira & Ioannidis, 2011) and other estimates being excluded because of an insufficient number of available studies (and therefore not represented…”
ResultSegal, Z. V., Dimidjian, S., Beck, A., Boggs, J. M., Vanderkruik, R., Metcalf, C. A., Gallop, R., Felder, J. N., & Levy, J. (2020) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.4693 · Cited by 159 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Extensive experimental research has examined the effects of MBIs, including through large-scale RCTs (Kuyken et al., 2015; Segal et al., 2020).”
BackgroundThe efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in primary care: a meta-analytic review.
Demarzo, M. M. P., Montero-Marin, J., Cuijpers, P., Zabaleta-del-Olmo, E., Mahtani, K. R., Vellinga, A., Vicens, C., Lopez-del-Hoyo, Y., & Garcia-Campayo, J. (2015) · The Annals of Family Medicine · doi:10.1370/afm.1863 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Methods for second order meta-analysis and illustrative applications
Schmidt, F. L., & Oh, I.-S. (2013) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2013.03.002 · Cited by 151 · cited 3× · see citing works
“In the absence of second-order meta-analysis (Schmidt & Oh, 2013), we could not evaluate sources of this variability directly.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialPhillips, E. A., Gordeev, V. S., & Schreyögg, J. (2019) · Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health · doi:10.5271/sjweh.3839 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Li, S. Y. H., & Bressington, D. (2019) · International Journal of Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1111/inm.12568 · Cited by 142 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…cases, the meta-analytic estimates were based on five or fewer RCTs. Depending on the degree of heterogeneity (which in some cases was high, e.g., Li & Bressington, 2019), such tests are very likely underpowered to detect even moderate effects (e.g., post hoc power to detect d = 0.74 in Li and…”
BackgroundInfluentialWaldron, E. M., Hong, S., Moskowitz, J. T., & Burnett-Zeigler, I. (2018) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-018-0920-5 · Cited by 137 · cited 1× · see citing works
“One especially troubling gap is a lack of primary studies and meta-analyses focused on the efficacy of MBIs for underserved and underrepresented groups (Waldron et al., 2018), which limits the generalizability of our results to these populations.”
BackgroundWhen mindfulness is therapy: Ethical qualms, historical perspectives.
Harrington, A., & Dunne, J. D. (2015) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/a0039460 · Cited by 135 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Although mindfulness meditation was not originally developed to treat illness (Harrington & Dunne, 2015), MBIs have been used for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders (e.g., mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy for depression; Segal et al., 2013) and physical health conditions (e.g.,…”
MethodZhang, J., Xu, R., Wang, B., & Wang, J. (2016) · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2016.02.012 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Alexithymia: A Systematic Review
Norman, H., Marzano, L., Coulson, M., & Oskis, A. (2019) · Evidence Based Mental Health · doi:10.1136/ebmental-2018-300029 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Is mindfulness research methodology improving over time? A systematic review
Goldberg, S. B., Tucker, R. P., Greene, P. A., Simpson, T. L., Kearney, D. J., & Davidson, R. J. (2017) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0187298 · Cited by 125 · cited 3× · see citing works
“In keeping with concerns regarding small sample sizes in RCTs testing MBIs (Baer, 2003; Goldberg et al., 2017), it appears that many meta-analyses are also underpowered.”
BackgroundSelf-citationHalladay, J. E., Dawdy, J. L., McNamara, I. F., Chen, A. J., Vitoroulis, I., McInnes, N., & Munn, C. (2019) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-018-0979-z · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Minami, T., Wampold, B. E., Serlin, R. C., Hamilton, E. G., Brown, G. S. (., & Kircher, J. C. (2008) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.76.1.116 · Cited by 120 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Nonetheless, presumably because of the improvements experienced by patients (Minami et al., 2008), cognitive behavioral therapy and other psychotherapies are widely perceived as efficacious by the research community and general public, recommended by providers, and paid for by managed care…”
BackgroundThe relationship between mindfulness and objective measures of body awareness: A meta-analysis
Treves, I. N., Tello, L. Y., Davidson, R. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-53978-6 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Self-citationCoronado-Montoya, S., Levis, A. W., Kwakkenbos, L., Steele, R. J., Turner, E. H., & Thombs, B. D. (2016) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153220 · Cited by 107 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Other concerns raised with the MBI evidence base include an overreporting of trials demonstrating statistically significant effects (Coronado-Montoya et al., 2016), limitations associated with a reliance on self-report measures (especially of mindfulness itself; Davidson & Kaszniak, 2015; Grossman, 2008), and a host o…”
Backgroundde Abreu Costa, M., D’Alò de Oliveira, G. S., Tatton-Ramos, T., Manfro, G. G., & Salum, G. A. (2019) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-018-1058-1 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Galante, J., Iribarren, S. J., & Pearce, P. F. (2013) · Journal of Research in Nursing · doi:10.1177/1744987112466087 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Anheyer, D., Leach, M. J., Klose, P., Dobos, G., & Cramer, H. (2019) · Cephalalgia · doi:10.1177/0333102418781795 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Wang, Y. Y., Li, X., Zheng, W., Xu, Z., Ng, C. H., Ungvari, G. S., Yuan, Z., & Xiang, Y. (2018) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.093 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Hedman-Lagerlöf, M., Hedman-Lagerlöf, E., & Öst, L.-G. (2018) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291718000259 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Opportunistic biases: Their origins, effects, and an integrated solution.
DeCoster, J., Sparks, E., Sparks, J. C., Sparks, G. G., & Sparks, C. W. (2015) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/a0039191 · Cited by 51 · cited 1× · see citing works
“As is increasingly discussed, selective reporting in particular allows opportunistic bias and can substantially reduce the scientific integrity of a body of literature (DeCoster et al., 2015).”
BackgroundGoldberg, S. B., Tucker, R. P., Greene, P. A., Simpson, T. L., Hoyt, W. T., Kearney, D. J., & Davidson, R. J. (2018) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-018-1032-y · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Self-citationLenz, A. S., Hall, J., & Smith, L. B. (2015) · The Journal for Specialists in Group Work · doi:10.1080/01933922.2015.1111488 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
What is mindfulness-based therapy good for?
Farias, M., Wikholm, C., & Delmonte, R. (2016) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(16)30211-5 · Cited by 43 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Because of these concerns, some researchers have questioned whether evidence actually supports beneficial effects of these practices and, if so, for whom (Farias et al., 2016).”
BackgroundAllegiance effects in mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A meta-re-analysis
Goldberg, S. B., & Tucker, R. P. (2020) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503307.2019.1664783 · Cited by 21 · cited 1× · see citing works
“However, even for these comparisons, it is crucial that researcher allegiance to MBIs be balanced with allegiance to the comparison condition (Goldberg & Tucker, 2020; Munder et al., 2013).”
BackgroundSelf-citationChen, D., Sun, W., Liu, N., Wang, J., Guo, P., Zhang, X., & Zhang, W. (2018) · Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.12.011 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Martin, K.-J., Golijani-Moghaddam, N., & dasNair, R. (2018) · International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation · doi:10.12968/ijtr.2018.25.2.82 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 4
- Analayo. (2018). Satipatthana meditation: A practice guide. Cambridge: Windhorse Publications.
- Higgins JPT, & Green S (2008). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. London: John Wiley & Sons.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). (2009). Depression in adults: Recognition and management. Retrieved from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg90 31990491
- Teleki JW (2010). Mindfulness-based stress reduction: A meta-analysis of psychological outcomes (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium, Palo Alto, CA.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Goldberg, S. B., Lam, S. U., Simonsson, O., Torous, J., & Sun, S. (2022) · PLOS Digital Health · doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0000002 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
“, interventions tested using more rigorous specific active control conditions appear less effective [35]).”
BackgroundSelf-citationMa, J., Zhao, D., Xu, N., & Yang, J. (2023) · EXPLORE · doi:10.1016/j.explore.2022.08.001 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
Phan, M. L., Renshaw, T. L., Caramanico, J., Greeson, J. M., Mackenzie, E., Atkinson‐Diaz, Z., Doppelt, N., Tai, H., Mandell, D. S., & Nuske, H. J. (2022) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-022-01885-9 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
Sun, S., Lin, D., Goldberg, S., Shen, Z., Chen, P., Qiao, S., Brewer, J., Loucks, E., & Operario, D. (2022) · Journal of Counseling Psychology · doi:10.1037/cou0000568 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
“Third, although using an active control was a design strength, consistently recommended by mindfulness researchers (Goldberg et al., 2021), and ethically important during the pandemic, the lack of passive control hinders our knowledge on the ef fi cacy of both interventions in comparison to the…”
Self-citationPrevalence of meditation-related adverse effects in a population-based sample in the United States
Goldberg, S. B., Lam, S. U., Britton, W. B., & Davidson, R. J. (2022) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503307.2021.1933646 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Self-citationGonzález-García, M., Álvarez, J. C., Pérez, E. Z., Fernandez-Carriba, S., & López, J. G. (2021) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-021-01632-6 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
“There is compelling evidence on the effectiveness of MBIs in reducing stress and promoting mental health both in the general population and in a wide range of clinical populations (Chiesa & Serretti, 2011; Goldberg et al., 2021; Khoury et al., 2015).”
BackgroundGalante, J., Friedrich, C., Collaboration of Mindfulness Trials (CoMinT), Aeamla-Or, N., Arts-de Jong, M., Barrett, B., Bögels, S. M., Buitelaar, J. K., Checovich, M. M., Christopher, M. S., et al. (2023) · Nature Mental Health · doi:10.1038/s44220-023-00081-5 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Self-citationGoldberg, S. B., Imhoff-Smith, T., Bolt, D. M., Wilson-Mendenhall, C. D., Dahl, C. J., Davidson, R. J., & Rosenkranz, M. A. (2020) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/23825 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
“Meta-analyses involving hundreds of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that meditation training can decrease psychological symptoms (eg, depression, anxiety, stress) and increase aspects of well-being and positive functioning (eg, meaning in life, compassion, prosocial behavior) [6-15].”
BackgroundSelf-citationFunctionality appreciation and its correlates: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Linardon, J., Messer, M., & Tylka, T. L. (2023) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.02.002 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Ong, N. Y., Teo, F. J. J., Ee, J. Z. Y., Yau, C. E., Thumboo, J., Tan, H. K., & Ng, Q. X. (2024) · General Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/gpsych-2023-101115 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
“58 Similarly, a majority of included articles in this review focused solely on physicians or nurses, and there is a paucity of research literature on the effectiveness of”
BackgroundWitarto, B. S., Visuddho, V., Witarto, A. P., Bestari, D., Sawitri, B., Melapi, T. A. S., & Wungu, C. D. K. (2022) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274177 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
“Many smartphone applications additionally offer some mindfulness-based practices [12].”
BackgroundMethodMindfulness for Global Public Health: Critical Analysis and Agenda
Oman, D. (2025) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02089-5 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
A Framework for the Empirical Investigation of Mindfulness Meditative Development
Galante, J., Grabovac, A. D., Wright, M., Ingram, D. M., Dam, N. T. V., Sanguinetti, J. L., Sparby, T., van Lutterveld, R., & Sacchet, M. D. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02113-8 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
“Mindfulness meditation research has been growing at a fast pace over the last few decades, with meta-analytic evidence from hundreds of accumulating randomised controlled trials showing promising results (Goldberg et al., 2020).”
BackgroundGkintoni, E., Vassilopoulos, S. P., & Νικολάου, Γ. (2025) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm14051703 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Rogerson, O., Wilding, S., Prudenzi, A., & O’Connor, D. B. (2024) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106415 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Britton, W. B., Desbordes, G., Acabchuk, R. L., Peters, S., Lindahl, J. R., Canby, N. K., Vago, D. R., Dumais, T., Lipsky, J., Kimmel, H. J., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.730972 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Goldberg, S. B., Sun, S., Carlbring, P., & Torous, J. (2023) · npj Digital Medicine · doi:10.1038/s41746-023-00923-7 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Self-citationMindfulness enhances cognitive functioning: a meta-analysis of 111 randomized controlled trials
Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023) · Health Psychology Review · doi:10.1080/17437199.2023.2248222 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
“It is essential to test MBIs ’ impact on diverse populations, as outcomes may vary, such as weaker e ff ects in older adults (Goldberg et al., 2021), children (Dunning et al., 2019), persons of colour, and those with low income (Sun et al., 2022).”
BackgroundPérez, V., Menéndez-Crispín, E. J., Sarabia-Cobo, C., de Lorena, P., Fernández-Rodríguez, A., & González-Vaca, J. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph191811441 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“Another recent systematic review of 44 meta-analyses of RCTs clearly suggested that more rigorous studies are needed, using randomized and controlled trials that highlight longitudinal effects, as is the case in our study [34].”
BackgroundResultA common factors perspective on mindfulness-based interventions
Goldberg, S. B. (2022) · Nature Reviews Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44159-022-00090-8 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Self-citationLinardon, J., Messer, M., Goldberg, S. B., & Fuller‐Tyszkiewicz, M. (2023) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102370 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Self-citationHirshberg, M. J., Frye, C., Dahl, C. J., Riordan, K. M., Vack, N. J., Sachs, J., Goldman, R., Davidson, R. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2022) · Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1037/edu0000739 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Self-citationThe (In)flexible self: Psychopathology, mindfulness, and neuroscience
Giommi, F., Bauer, P. R., Berkovich‐Ohana, A., Barendregt, H. P., Brown, K. W., Gallagher, S., Nyklı́ček, I., Ostafin, B. D., Raffone, A., Slagter, H. A., et al. (2023) · International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100381 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
“…and meditation contribute to increasing the effects attributed to the common factors in psychotherapy (Wampold 2015; Wampold& Ulvenes, 2019; Goldberg, 2022a; Goldberg et al., 2018) highlights the importance of situating mindfulness as experienced by participants in the MBIs within the…”
BackgroundMindfulness-based interventions among people of color: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Sun, S., Goldberg, S. B., Loucks, E. B., & Brewer, J. A. (2022) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503307.2021.1937369 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
“Consistent with prior meta-analyses of psychological interventions (Wampold et al., 1997) and MBIs (Galante et al., 2021; Goldberg et al., 2021, 2018), efficacy analyses were conducted separately for MBIs in comparison to active controls and inactive controls since they represent differed meanings…”
BackgroundResultSelf-citationLinardon, J. (2023) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2023.104421 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety and depression
Bhattacharya, S., & Hofmann, S. G. (2023) · Clinics in Integrated Care · doi:10.1016/j.intcar.2023.100138 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Gallagher, S. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198873068.001.0001 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Ho, C. Y. Y., Yu, B. C. L., & Mak, W. W. S. (2022) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102175 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the mood benefits of meditation: A narrative review
Pascoe, M. C., de Manincor, M., Tseberja, J., Hallgren, M. Å., Baldwin, P. A., & Parker, A. G. (2021) · Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100037 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“A wide body of literature shows that mediation practices are associated with improved mental health and wellbeing in diverse popuations [35 – 37].”
BackgroundDavies, J. N., Faschinger, A., Galante, J., & Dam, N. T. V. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-64562-y · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Their Parents: A Randomized Control Trial
Valero, M., Cebolla, A., & Diago, C. C. (2021) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/10870547211027636 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders
Goldberg, S. B., Pace, B. T., Griskaitis, M., Willutzki, R., Skoetz, N., Thönes, S., Zgierska, A. E., & Rösner, S. (2021) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd011723.pub2 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Self-citationLevit‐Binnun, N., Arbel, K., & Dorjee, D. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727857 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Mindfulness programs for problematic usage of the internet: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Fendel, J. C., Vogt, A., Brandtner, A., & Schmidt, S. (2024) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2024.00024 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“This lack to acknowledge potential adverse effects is common in research and dissemination of MPs and needs to be addressed in future research (Goldberg, Riordan, Sun, & Davidson, 2022).”
Anderson, S. A., Haraldsdottir, K., & Watson, D. (2021) · Current Sports Medicine Reports · doi:10.1249/jsr.0000000000000919 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Sperling, E. L., Hulett, J. M., Sherwin, L. B., Thompson, S., & Bettencourt, B. A. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0286387 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“Mindfulness has not been consistently shown to assist with stress reduction in medical students [19–22], although a recent systematic review of meta-analyses demonstrates mindfulness was more effective than passive controls in healthcare professionals/trainees and allied health students, but not better than active con…”
BackgroundSun, S., Nardi, W., Loucks, E. B., & Operario, D. (2021) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-021-01710-9 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Self-citationArnaud, N., Wartberg, L., Simon-Kutscher, K., & Thomasius, R. (2023) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-023-02173-0 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“Research indicates that mindfulness is related to self-regulatory control of behavioral impulses with a growing literature addressing the implications in the context of addictive behavior [23, 24] and other externalizing and internalizing psychological problems [25, 26].”
BackgroundLohner, M. S., & Aprea, C. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.702683 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
The Adverse Effects of Meditation-Interventions and Mind–Body Practices: a Systematic Review
Taylor, G. B., Vasquez, T. S., Kastrinos, A., Fisher, C. L., Puig, A., & Bylund, C. L. (2022) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-022-01915-6 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Overall and differential attrition in mindfulness-based interventions: A meta-analysis
Lam, S. U., Kirvin-Quamme, A., & Goldberg, S. B. (2022) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-022-01970-z · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Self-citationGu, X., Luo, W., Zhao, X., Chen, Y., Zheng, Y., Zhou, J., Zeng, X., Yan, L., Chen, Y., Zhang, X., et al. (2022) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12367 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Abellaneda‐Pérez, K., Potash, R. M., Pascual‐Leone, Á., & Sacchet, M. D. (2024) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105862 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
“…limitations in previous meditation research literature include small sample sizes, heterogeneous “ sham ” meditation conditions, and infrequently conducted power analyses (i.e., Davies et al., 2021; Zeidan et al., 2015; for further related empirical discussion, see also Goldberg et al., 2022).”
BackgroundBadaghi, N., Buskbjerg, C. R., Kwakkenbos, L., Bosman, S. J. E., Zachariae, R. H., & Speckens, A. E. M. (2024) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102505 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Harp, N. R., Freeman, J. B., & Neta, M. (2022) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/xge0001173 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Mamede, A., Merkelbach, I., Noordzij, G., & Denktaş, S. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.820959 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Brown, J. L., Jennings, P. A., Rasheed, D. S., Cham, H., Doyle, S. L., Frank, J. L., Davis, R., & Greenberg, M. T. (2025) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1080/10888691.2023.2268327 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
“Numerous studies have demonstrated positive impacts of MBIs on well-being (Goldberg et al., 2022; Gu et al., 2015; Khoury et al., 2015).”
The connection between mindfulness and flow: A meta-analysis
Schutte, N. S., & Malouff, J. M. (2022) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2022.111871 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Mindfulness-based interventions for preadolescent children: A comprehensive meta-analysis
Kander, T. N., Lawrence, D., Fox, A. M., Houghton, S. J., & Becerra, R. (2023) · Journal of School Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2023.101261 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Effectiveness of workplace interventions for health promotion
Virtanen, M., Lallukka, T. M., Elovainio, M. J., Steptoe, A., & Mika Kivimaki, B. (2025) · The Lancet Public Health · doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(25)00095-7 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Telehealth Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Chronic Pain
Burgess, D. J., Calvert, C., Campbell, E. H., Allen, K. D., Bangerter, A. K., Behrens, K., Branson, M., Brønfort, G., Cross, L. J. S., Evans, R., et al. (2024) · JAMA Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.3940 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Meditation, mindfulness, and acceptance methods in psychotherapy: A systematic review
Goldberg, S. B., Anders, C., Stuart-Maver, S. L., & Kivlighan, D. M. (2023) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503307.2023.2209694 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“There are dozens of RCTs testing MMA methods as part of larger treatment packages.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialSelf-citationMcKeen, H., Hook, M., Podduturi, P., Beitzell, E., Jones, A., & Liss, M. (2021) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-021-02003-z · Cited by 40 · see citing works
“patients with depression even more so than current clinical best practices (Goldberg et al., 2021).”
BackgroundThe effect of ten versus twenty minutes of mindfulness meditation on state mindfulness and affect
Palmer, R., Roos, C. R., Vafaie, N., & Kober, H. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-46578-y · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“…found that lower baseline levels of acceptance and decentering predicted greater decreases in stress from MBSR (potentially because there’s more “room for improvement”), the same study found that higher levels of awareness and lower decentering predicted greater reductions in negative affect 20 .”
ResultTrinh, J., de Vries, N. M., Chan, P., Dekker, M. C. J., Helmich, R. C. G., & Bloem, B. R. (2025) · The Lancet Neurology · doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(25)00305-9 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Perkins, N., Sehmbi, T., & Smith, P. A. (2022) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-022-01925-4 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“Keywords Meditation · Kindness · Compassion · Children · Adolescents · Systematic review Mindfulness meditation and mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been linked to positive mental health outcomes in adults (Goldberg et al., 2022; Khoury et al., 2015) and to improvements in wellbeing and cognition in childre…”
BackgroundLam, S. U., Riordan, K. M., Simonsson, O., Davidson, R. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-022-02061-9 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Self-citationHirshberg, M. J., Colaianne, B. A., Greenberg, M. T., Inkelas, K. K., Davidson, R. J., Germano, D., Dunne, J. D., & Roeser, R. W. (2022) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-022-01952-1 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Self-citationHaines, B. A., Hong, P. Y., Immel, K. R., & Lishner, D. A. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02210-8 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Goldberg et al. (2021) extensively reviewed 160 effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) reported in 336 randomized clinical trials across 44 meta-analyses with children/adolescents, adults, students, employees, and health care professionals.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSituating Meditation Apps Within the Ecosystem of Meditation Practice: Population-Based Survey Study
Lam, S. U., Xie, Q., & Goldberg, S. B. (2023) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/43565 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“This is an important area to clarify given the promising effects of meditation training on health [17,29] and the ubiquity of meditation practices within mental health apps [21].”
BackgroundSelf-citationMindfulness training enhances students’ executive functioning and social emotional skills
Flook, L., Hirshberg, M. J., Gustafson, L., McGehee, C., Knoeppel, C., Tello, L. Y., Bolt, D. M., & Davidson, R. J. (2024) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1080/10888691.2023.2297026 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“Applications of mindfulness-based approaches have been explored in a wide variety of settings with an array of documented benefits, most extensively with adult populations (Goldberg et al., 2022).”
Self-citationZewude, G. T., Natnael, T., Woreta, G. T., & Bezie, A. E. (2025) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph22010057 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Conduct longitudinal studies to evaluate the long-term efficacy of mindfulness and social capital interventions in reducing social media and internet addiction.”
Sun, S., Guy, A. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Operario, D. (2022) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-022-01973-w · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“Over the past few decades, there has been substantial growth in research on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) (Goldberg et al., 2022).”
BackgroundSelf-citationWhat Mindfulness, and for Whom? And Why Might it Work?
Sedlmeier, P. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02218-0 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Mechanisms of Mindfulness: A Longitudinal Study of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program
Davis, K. M., Wojcik, C. M., Baillie, A. J., Foley, E., Goddard, T., Lau, M. A., & Haigh, E. A. P. (2024) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-024-02359-w · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“In light of these considerations, it is essential to determine the “active ingredients” of MBSR which most contribute to its efficacy (Goldberg, 2022; Stein & Witkiewitz, 2020).”
Mechanism of Action of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Pain Relief—A Systematic Review
Ploesser, M., & Martin, D. D. (2024) · Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/jicm.2023.0328 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“10,48,49 Previous research has shown that mindfulness may be a promising intervention at reducing pain, 50 – 53 and the results of the present systematic review concur with previous reviews that it does so via involving processes that re fl ect changes in one ’ s relationship with pain.”
Porter, N., & Jason, L. A. (2022) · Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment · doi:10.2147/ndt.s379653 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Grasmann, J., Almenräder, F., Voracek, M., & Tran, U. S. (2023) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms24054445 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“Study quality is a pervasive problem in MBI research [7,116,117].”
BackgroundA synthesis of meta-analyses of immersive virtual reality interventions in pain
Rooney, T., Sharpe, L., Winiarski, N., Todd, J., Colagiuri, B., Ryckeghem, D. M. L. V., Crombez, G., & Michalski, S. C. (2025) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2025.102566 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Hadash, Y., Ruimi, L., & Bernstein, A. (2023) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/pas0001194 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Issac, A. C., Dhir, A., & Christofi, M. (2023) · Journal of Managerial Psychology · doi:10.1108/jmp-05-2022-0217 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Psychosis superspectrum II: neurobiology, treatment, and implications
Kotov, R., Carpenter, W. T., Cicero, D. C., Correll, C. U., Martin, E. A., Young, J. W., Zald, D. H., & Jonas, K. G. (2024) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41380-024-02410-1 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“Bene fi ts may be particularly large for psychotic disorders, but the small number of studies in this population preclude a de fi nite conclusion [165].”
Hadash, Y., Ruimi, L., & Bernstein, A. (2021) · doi:10.31231/osf.io/dwzcj · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Riordan, K. M., MacCoon, D. G., Barrett, B. P., Rosenkranz, M. A., Chungyalpa, D., Lam, S. U., Davidson, R. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2022) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101900 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Self-citationGrasser, L. R., & Marusak, H. A. (2023) · Mental Health Science · doi:10.1002/mhs2.16 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Sanchez-Lara, E., Lozano-Ruiz, Á., Pérez-Garcı́a, M., & Caracuel, A. (2021) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2021.1976724 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“Several authors have emphasized the need to conduct meta-analyses that overcome the limitations of the studies cited above in order to reach conclusive results on the efficacy of MBis in improving the cognition of older adults (Creswell, 2017; Goldberg et al., 2021).”
BackgroundFigueroa, C., Ayala, A., Trejo, L. A., Ramos, B., Briz, C. L., Noriega, I., & Chávez, A. (2023) · Sensors · doi:10.3390/s23052650 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Mace, R. A., Stauder, M. J., Hopkins, S. W., Cohen, J. E., Pietrzykowski, M. O., Philpotts, L. L., Luberto, C. M., & Vranceanu, A. (2024) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/15598276241230467 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
The meditation app revolution.
Creswell, J. D., & Goldberg, S. B. (2025) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/amp0001576 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Self-citationBringmann, H. C., Vennemann, J., Gross, J., Matko, K., & Sedlmeier, P. (2021) · The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/acm.2021.0038 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“17,18 Meditation Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) is a new therapy developed for mental health care, 19 in which all 8 aspects of classical yoga have been integrated and which has been shown to be feasible in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate depression.”
BackgroundRich, T., Chrisinger, B. W., Kaimal, R., Winter, S. J., Hedlin, H., Yan, M., Zhao, X., Zhu, S., You, S., Sun, C., et al. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph192013485 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“Many studies of CPB have focused exclusively on mindfulness meditation, producing evidence of positive benefits [27,28].”
BackgroundRoubinov, D. S., Epel, E. S., Coccia, M., Coleman‐Phox, K., Vieten, C., Adler, N. E., Laraia, B. A., & Bush, N. R. (2022) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/ccp0000776 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
O’Hare, A. J., & Gemelli, Z. T. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278826 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“A metameta analysis found mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) to benefit those with psychiatric disorders and alleviate both psychiatric and physiological symptoms of their diagnosed disorder(s) [7].”
BackgroundMethodMindfulness Meditation and Network Neuroscience: Review, Synthesis, and Future Directions
Prakash, R. S., Shankar, A., Tripathi, V., Yang, W. F. Z., Fisher, M. E., Bauer, C. C. C., Betzel, R. F., & Sacchet, M. D. (2024) · Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging · doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.11.005 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Santos, L., Miguel, R. R., Pinheiro, M. D. R., & Rijo, D. (2023) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106839 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Classic Psychedelic Use and Current Meditation Practice
Simonsson, C., Chambers, R., Hendricks, P. S., Goldberg, S. B., Osika, W., Schlosser, M., Ryde, A., Christersson, E., & Simonsson, O. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02103-w · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationJuul, L., Frydenberg, M., Bonde, E. H., Beck, M. S., Gøtzsche, K., Nielsen, H. B., & Fjorback, L. O. (2025) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118117 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Mindfulness, cognition, and long-term meditators: Toward a science of advanced meditation
Ehmann, S., Sezer, I., Treves, I. N., Gabrieli, J. D. E., & Sacchet, M. D. (2025) · Imaging Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/imag.a.82 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“…include emotional distress, cognitive difficulties, physical discomfort, and, in intensive retreat settings, even severe reactions such as mania or psychosis ( Cebolla et al., 2017; Galante et al., 2023; Goldberg et al., 2020; Lindahl et al., 2017; Sacchet et al., 2024; Schlosser et al., 2019).”
Simonsson, O., Osika, W., Stenfors, C. U. D., Goldberg, S. B., Honk, L., & Hendricks, P. S. (2023) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291723003082 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“…processes (Singer & Engert, 2019) and yet both seem to have positive effects on mental health (Galante, Galante, Bekkers, & Gallacher, 2014; Goldberg, Riordan, Sun, & Davidson, 2022), which is a commonly reported motivation for meditation practice (Jiwani, Lam, Davidson, & Goldberg, 2022).”
BackgroundSelf-citationMindfulness in education: Critical debates and pragmatic considerations
Lee, W. W. K., McCaw, C. T., & Dam, N. T. V. (2024) · British Educational Research Journal · doi:10.1002/berj.3998 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Sieder, K., Thiedmann, P., Voracek, M., & Tran, U. S. (2024) · Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12550 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
An integrative framework for the mechanisms underlying mindfulness-induced cognitive change
Cásedas, L., Schooler, J. W., Vadillo, M. A., & Lupiáñez, J. (2024) · Nature Reviews Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44159-024-00374-1 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Gauthier, P. E., Chungyalpa, D., Goldman, R. I., Davidson, R. J., & Wilson‐Mendenhall, C. D. (2025) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102042 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“Scientific research consistently demonstrates the efficacy of mindfulness practices as a therapeutic tool for reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain [38] and is now investigating impact on pro-environmental behavior [39].”
Self-citationter Avest, M. M., van Velthoven, A. S. M., Speckens, A. E. M., Dijkstra, G. D. H., Dresler, M., Horjus, C. S., Römkens, T. E. H., Witteman, E. M., van Dop, W. A., Bredero, Q. M., et al. (2023) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-023-01127-0 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective in reducing psychological distress and fatigue, as well as improving sleep quality and QoL, both in patients with mental and somatic illnesses [12, 13].”
BackgroundRoca, P., Vázquez, C., Díez, G. G., & McNally, R. J. (2023) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101895 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
At-Home use of App-Based Mindfulness for Children: A Randomized Active-Controlled Trial
Treves, I. N., Olson, H. A., Ozernov‐Palchik, O., Li, C. E., Wang, K. L., Arechiga, X. M., Goldberg, S. B., & Gabrieli, J. D. E. (2023) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-023-02231-3 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Self-citationLi, L., Jing, L., Liu, Y., Tang, Y., Wang, H., & Yang, J. (2023) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare11202703 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Kelson, E., & Dorstyn, D. (2023) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-023-06185-2 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“These issues, in part, reflect ongoing problems with fidelity to an intervention protocol as well as the lack of RCTs in the broader psychotherapy literature (Fonagy et al., 2019; Goldberg et al., 2022).”
Vargas-Nieto, J. C., Zambrano, D., Montorio, I., & Pineda, L. M. S. (2024) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-024-02321-w · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“Also, important questions remain to be clarified, such as the ability of these technologies to generate engagement or therapeutic adherence as highlighted by Goldberg et al. (2022).”
Meditation for adults with non-specific low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Soares, L. O., Ferreira, G. E., Costa, L. O. P., Nogueira, L. A. C., Meziat‐Filho, N., & dos Reis, F. J. J. (2021) · Scandinavian Journal of Pain · doi:10.1515/sjpain-2021-0096 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
- Authors
- Goldberg, S. B., Riordan, K. M., Sun, S., & Davidson, R. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Brown University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Goldberg, Simon B.
- Venue
- Perspectives on Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2021-02-16
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 108-130
- ISSN
- 1745-6916 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-6924
- PMC
- PMC8364929
- OpenAlex
- W3132572579
- Cited by
- 520
- References
- 111
- Citations by year
- 2026: 117 · 2025: 120 · 2024: 102 · 2023: 101 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 9.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Perspectives on Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH43454, T32MH078788)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (K23AT010879, P01AT004952)
- 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, effect size, passive control, active control, evidence-based treatment, publication bias, risk of bias, adverse effects, statistical power, heterogeneity, moderators
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Bias, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Mindfulness
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
