Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction for depression in post-stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Frontiers in Psychiatry January 1, 2026 Ying Sun, Shirong Bo, Yongsheng Li
A meta-analysis of eight randomized controlled trials with 469 participants found that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) significantly reduced depressive symptoms after stroke compared with control conditions. The overall effect was large, but substantial heterogeneity and a wide prediction interval suggest the benefit may be negligible in some settings. Subgroup analyses showed significant benefits in trials conducted in Asia but not in other regions, and in participants treated during the stable post-stroke phase but not during the acute phase. The authors rated the overall certainty of evidence as low due to high risk of bias, heterogeneity, and imprecision.