Journal of Psychosomatic Research
April 1, 2025
Mengting Zhu, Samuel Yeung Shan Wong, Claire Chenwen Zhong et al.
13 citations
A network meta-analysis of 68 studies with 5,339 participants compared different mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain. Mindfulness-based stress reduction showed the strongest evidence for reducing pain intensity and depression, with moderate to high certainty. Mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement was most effective for improving physical function, though the evidence was low certainty. An 8-week course with weekly 90- to 120-minute sessions appeared optimal for addressing pain, physical function, and depression. These findings support the use of mindfulness-based interventions in chronic pain management and help inform evidence-based guidelines.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
July 5, 2025
Ema Štánerová, Veronika Zelenayová, Jakub Rajčáni
8 citations
Mindfulness interventions during active cancer treatment moderately improve quality of life and reduce depression and anxiety. A meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials found moderate effects on quality of life (12 studies, 1124 participants), depression (19 studies, 1586 participants), and anxiety (20 studies, 1542 participants), though with considerable variation across studies. Effectiveness differed by intervention type but not by cancer diagnosis. The overall quality of evidence was low due to unexplained heterogeneity and risk of bias. The findings underscore the need to examine sources of variation and improve methodological transparency in future research.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
February 1, 2025
Ana Esteves Ferreira, Paulo Reis-Pina
3 citations
A systematic review of six studies involving 140 patients, most with cancer, found that psychedelic-assisted therapy, particularly with psilocybin, enhances spirituality, mystical experiences, and spiritual well-being in people with life-threatening illnesses. Spiritual well-being improved in all studies that measured it, and mystical experiences were linked to spiritual gains in one study. The evidence comes from studies with a high risk of bias, all conducted in the United States. The review highlights the potential of this therapy to address unmet spiritual needs in palliative care, but calls for more research on how it works and how clinicians can safely guide patients through treatment.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
May 1, 2025
Chuntana Reangsing, Sasinun Punsuwun, Sarah Oerther
2 citations
A meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials involving 2,263 cancer patients found that mindfulness-based interventions moderately improve sleep quality (effect size g = 0.598). Participants' mean age was 53.70 years, and most were male. Funding source and timing of outcome measurement influenced the effect size. No adverse effects were reported. Mindfulness-based interventions are a viable complementary treatment for sleep problems in cancer patients.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
September 1, 2026
Keyuan Liu, Geoffroy Solelhac, Nicola Andrea Marchi et al.
Frequent nightmares are linked to a higher risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. In a Swiss general-population study across three follow-ups, people with frequent nightmares had higher body mass index and greater prevalence of hypertension and diabetes than those without nightmares. Ecological momentary assessment confirmed a 2.53-fold higher odds of hypertension in the second follow-up. Polysomnography showed a lower pulse wave amplitude drops index in the frequent nightmare group, suggesting altered autonomic function, but salivary cortisol levels did not differ, indicating the stress hormone pathway alone does not explain the association. The findings suggest nightmares are associated with cardiometabolic risk, though the mechanisms remain unclear.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
May 1, 2026
Rosa Michaelis, Jörg Meibert, Nicole Alimov et al.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is feasible and well-accepted for patients with functional neurological disorder (FND). In a single-arm feasibility study, 24 of 57 eligible patients enrolled, 22 completed the 8-week program, and recommendation likelihood was high. Statistically significant improvements occurred in health-related quality of life, functional impairment, depressive symptoms, and FND symptom count from pre- to post-intervention, with gains maintained at three-month follow-up; anxiety changes were not significant. Online delivery showed particularly strong adherence with no dropouts. A randomized controlled trial is warranted to determine efficacy.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
December 1, 2024
Quirine M Bredero, Joke Fleer, Ans Smink et al.
Fatigue is common among people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in remission. A randomized controlled trial tested whether fatigue reductions from mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) lasted nine months. Among 108 fatigued IBD patients who received MBCT, the reduced fatigue level post-treatment did not change significantly during follow-up. 29% of patients reported clinically relevant improvement from before treatment to nine months. Secondary outcomes (fatigue interference, depression, anxiety, quality of life) remained stable. Patients who improved were significantly more often unemployed. The findings suggest that MBCT's fatigue reductions are sustained over nine months, with about one-third of patients experiencing clinically meaningful improvement.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
October 1, 2022
Shiqi Tao, Yi Geng, Mingxia Li et al.
A meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials with 502 participants found that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) significantly reduced depressive symptoms in people who had experienced a stroke. The effect was larger for those with clinically defined depression than for those without. The analysis showed a significant overall effect on depression. The authors conclude that stroke populations may improve their mood with these interventions, but the impact on physiological disease parameters remains undetermined, and they call for further high-quality studies with long-term follow-up.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
November 1, 2021
R. L. Roberts, K. Ledermann, E. Garland
Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) improved reappraisal of distress in patients with opioid-treated chronic pain by enhancing interoceptive self-regulation, supporting a key pathway in the Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory. In a randomized trial, 95 patients (mean age 56.8, 66% female) were assigned to 8 weeks of MORE or a Support Group. MORE led to greater improvements in interoceptive awareness, and this increase mediated the effect of MORE on reappraisal. In turn, increased reappraisal mediated reductions in emotional distress through a 3-month follow-up.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
August 2, 2021
T. Ewais, J. Begun, M. Kenny et al.
An adapted mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) program for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and comorbid depression is feasible and improves depression, stress, mindfulness, and adaptive coping. In a pilot randomized controlled trial, 64 AYAs aged 16–29 were assigned to MBCT or treatment as usual. At 8 weeks, the MBCT group showed significantly lower depression and stress scores, and higher active coping and total mindfulness scores. At 20 weeks, improvements in mindful awareness and coping by positive reframing and planning were sustained. The study suggests MBCT holds promise as a component of integrated IBD care.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
May 21, 2020
Tsai-Ling Chen, Shu-Chen Chang, Hsiu-Fen Hsieh et al.
A meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials with 497 insomnia patients found that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) significantly improved sleep quality, depression, and anxiety compared to control conditions. The analysis showed moderate to large effect sizes for these outcomes. The authors conclude that MBSR is an effective supplement for improving sleep and mental health in adults with insomnia, though they call for future research using standardized methods to examine long-term effects.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
December 27, 2019
Congyan Xie, B. Dong, Lihong Wang et al.
A meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials involving 3,008 cancer patients found that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) significantly reduces cancer-related fatigue, especially in lung cancer patients. An 8-week, expert-supervised MBSR program had a large effect on fatigue compared with usual care or no intervention. MBSR is an effective complementary therapy for managing cancer-related fatigue.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
January 1, 2017
Bassam Khoury, Bärbel Knäuper, Marco Schlosser et al.
Traditional meditation retreats are moderately to largely effective at reducing depression, anxiety, and stress, and improving quality of life, according to a meta-analysis of 21 studies involving 2,912 participants. Effect sizes were moderate in pre-post analyses (Hedge's g = 0.45) and when comparing retreats to control groups (Hedge's g = 0.49), with results maintained at follow-up. Large effects were found for anxiety, depression, and stress; moderate effects for emotional regulation and quality of life. Changes in mindfulness strongly moderated clinical outcomes. No differences emerged between meditation styles. Significant heterogeneity across trials limits the strength of conclusions.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
December 1, 2014
Annemette Bondo Lind, Charlotte Delmar, Klaus Nielsen
Mindfulness group therapy for somatoform disorders helped patients move from an existential crisis characterized by insecurity about social identity, illness, and difficulty identifying stress-related emotions, toward increased existential security. Post-treatment, patients reported greater self-confidence, clearer illness perceptions, enhanced relaxation using mindfulness techniques, improved mind-body awareness, and more active communication of needs and distress. They shifted from avoidant to more flexible coping strategies, reducing daily stress. Patients suggested expanding therapy with more group discussions and additional individual sessions. While treatment positively affected illness perceptions, stress experiences, self-awareness, coping, and social functioning, further treatment was still needed for full recovery.