Follow-up effects of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health July 5, 2026 Hongbo Zhao, Hongxin Huang
Anxiety commonly emerges during adolescence, often coinciding with secondary school years. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) provide short-term anxiety reduction in young people, but whether benefits persist after treatment ends has been unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials involving 9,856 adolescents aged 10–19 years found that MBIs produced a modest reduction in anxiety symptoms at follow-up assessments conducted at least 3 months after the intervention. The effect was moderate at 3–6 months but very small at 6 months or longer. Evidence for effects lasting 6 months or more was limited and of low certainty, making it insufficient to draw firm conclusions about long-term maintenance.