The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analytic Review
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology April 1, 2010 S. Hofmann, Alice T. Sawyer, Ashley A. Witt et al.
Mindfulness-based therapy is moderately effective for reducing anxiety and mood symptoms in clinical populations. An effect-size analysis of 39 studies with 1,140 participants found moderate improvements in anxiety (Hedges’ g = 0.63) and mood symptoms (Hedges’ g = 0.59) from pre- to post-treatment. Among patients with anxiety and mood disorders, the effects were larger (Hedges’ g = 0.97 for anxiety, 0.95 for mood). These benefits were robust, unrelated to publication year or number of treatment sessions, and were maintained over follow-up. The findings indicate that mindfulness-based therapy is a promising intervention for treating anxiety and mood problems in clinical samples.