Mindfulness-based programmes reduce psychological distress (anxiety and depression) in community adults who volunteer to participate, with a small to moderate effect size. The analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials with 2,371 participants from 8 countries found a standardized mean difference of -0.32, with high confidence in the result. The effect was not clearly influenced by participants' baseline distress level, gender, age, education, or dispositional mindfulness. More research is needed to understand why outcomes vary between individuals.
Fear of death is often seen as pathological, but this study used network analysis with 486 community participants to examine its links to psychological distress, mindfulness, compassion, life-limiting illness, spirituality, meaning in life, and self-esteem. The directed network showed that fear of another's death centrally influenced other death-anxiety facets, life-limiting illness, mindfulness, and meaning in life, while other death-anxiety facets had no significant influence on wellbeing. Self-esteem did not buffer death anxiety as previously proposed. Psychedelic use and meditation correlated with lower death anxiety, though these findings require replication. The results suggest death anxiety could facilitate existential growth, supporting Buddhist teachings on mortality awareness.