Mindfulness in Adaptation to Bereavement: A Systematic Review
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy November 1, 2025 Xinyan Sun, Maya J. Schroevers, Max O. Lessing et al. 1 citation
A systematic review of 13 studies (2097 participants) found that self-reported mindfulness is consistently associated with lower levels of prolonged grief, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in bereaved adults. Mindfulness also predicted improvements over time in secondary mental health outcomes but not in prolonged grief symptoms specifically. Intervention studies, including one randomized controlled trial, generally supported mindfulness-based interventions for reducing secondary mental health problems, though results were mixed for prolonged grief. The authors conclude that mindfulness holds promise for improving mental health after bereavement but call for more randomized trials and intensive longitudinal research to clarify short- and long-term benefits.