MindfulnessJuly 1, 2026Irena Miksic, Ema Muza, Ivana Marijanovic et al.
Abstract Objectives Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly implemented in schools to support students. However, the effects remain modest and inconsistent, particularly across developmental stages, delivery formats, and school contexts. Method In response to these limitations, we conducted a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT) of a novel blended MBI in a...
Abstract Objectives This study compared two formats of a curriculum-embedded mindfulness course among university students to examine if outcomes differed when meditations and inquiry were guided live by a teacher or delivered via audio recordings and self-guided inquiry. Method A non-randomised controlled trial was conducted across two cohorts (2022 and 2023; N = 161). The 7-week mindfulness...
Abstract Objectives While mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown broad mental health benefits, few studies have examined which individuals benefit the most. Since emotion regulation is a core psychological process implicated in many mental health outcomes, this study aimed to investigate whether baseline participant characteristics predict improvements in emotion regulation following...
As a major risk factor for mental and physical health disorders, chronic stress presents a critical public health challenge. Over the past decades, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have gained empirical support as a promising approach to mitigating its harmful effects. However, important research gaps remain in the psychoneuroimmunology of mindfulness. This article synthesises the current...
Background: The ongoing mental health crisis warrants investigations to understand why trait mindfulness is associated with beneficial mental health outcomes. This study examined attention monitoring and acceptance as psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between trait mindfulness and emotion regulation and connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and...
The consequences of chronic stress present a major public health challenge, and we are beginning to understand ways to mitigate these damaging effects. Research on mindfulness has accumulated over the past decades and suggests that it can counteract the psychological, neural, and immune effects of chronic stress, but more research is required to provide precise clinical guidelines. This article...
Self-compassion is a fundamental aspect of psychological health and well-being that can be cultivated through self-compassion meditations, but it remains unclear how to facilitate this most effectively. This study is the first to explore whether sensory and semantic priming introduced prior to a guided self-compassion meditation could enhance the effects of meditation in comparison with a...
This study was the first to test the feasibility of mind-body interventions with a randomised control research design in a sample that contains all ten types of personality disorders, and the first to provide a preliminary evaluation of responses using a combination of psychological, genomic, neural, and behavioural measures. Thirty prisoners with personality disorders were recruited within a...
Objectives Meditation interventions typically show small to moderate effects on health and well‐being, but we know little about how these effects vary across individuals. This meta‐analytic study investigates the relationship between baseline participant characteristics and the outcomes of meditation. Methods A systematic search yielded 51 eligible studies with 7782 participants. A combination...
Abstract Meditation generally has small to moderate effects on health and well-being, but some people experience greater benefits from meditation than others. What are the characteristics of the study participants or meditation students that lead to beneficial outcomes of meditation? This chapter adopts a multilevel approach to evaluate the evidence on the relationship between participant...
There is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of mind-body interventions (MBIs) in improving mental and physical health, but the molecular mechanisms of these benefits remain poorly understood. One hypothesis is that MBIs reverse expression of genes involved in inflammatory reactions that are induced by stress. This systematic review was conducted to examine changes in gene expression...