Mindfulness-based techniques (MBTs) improve mindful attention awareness, self-reflection, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to those not receiving MBTs. In a quasi-experimental study with 120 patients, those in the MBT group showed significantly greater improvements in all measured outcomes, including reductions in self-rumination. The findings suggest MBTs are a promising complementary intervention for MDD, and training nurses to deliver these techniques could enhance patient care. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether these benefits persist over time.
A randomized controlled trial with 120 menopausal women in Egypt found that seven sessions of a mindfulness-based intervention significantly improved menopause-specific quality of life across vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual domains, with large effect sizes. The intervention also substantially reduced anxiety, stress, and depression, and increased mindfulness, compared to a control group receiving general health education. These results suggest mindfulness-based programs can effectively alleviate menopausal symptoms and enhance psychological well-being.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) may reduce depressive symptoms in adults aged 60 years and older compared with control conditions. A meta-analysis of three randomized controlled trials involving 178 participants found that MBCT was associated with significantly lower depressive symptom severity (pooled effect size Hedges g = -0.92, 95% confidence interval -1.30 to -0.55, with no heterogeneity). Evidence for anxiety and quality-of-life outcomes was limited and could not be pooled, and no trials reported relapse or recurrence. The authors note the evidence base remains small and heterogeneous, calling for larger, methodologically rigorous trials with standardized outcomes and longer follow-up.