Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on mental health among women with fetal loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Xin Wang, Ying Luo, Ying Gao, Jun-Yan Li, Yan-Qiong Ouyang, Rong Wang
Midwifery July 15, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2025.104520 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Women with fetal loss |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Fetal loss Mental health Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions significantly improve depression in women with fetal loss, but their effect on anxiety is limited to those without pre-existing symptoms, and post-traumatic growth improvement is only seen with short-duration interventions. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown potential in reducing maternal negative emotions, but their effectiveness for women with fetal loss requires further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of MBIs on mental health outcomes among these women. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on MBIs for women with fetal loss were retrieved from eight databases, covering literature from inception to January 21, 2025. Outcomes included depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic growth. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB 1.0, and meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.4. Ten RCTs were included. MBIs significantly improve depression (SMD=1.01, 95 %CI (0.60,1.41), p 0.05). For anxiety symptoms, MBIs were effective only in women without symptoms (SMD=1.57, p 4 weeks, SMD=0.74, p < 0.01). There are few high-quality RCTs, small sample sizes, and a lack of long-term follow-up. MBIs effectively improve mental health in women with fetal loss, with short-duration effects exceeding long-duration ones. These findings support the integration of MBIs into psychosocial care, particularly for women with pre-existing psychological symptoms, and highlight the need to refine intervention strategies.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Using an Electronic Mindfulness-based Intervention (eMBI) to improve maternal mental health during pregnancy: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry Research December 1, 2023
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Iranian Journal of Public Health December 1, 2023
- Dispositional mindfulness profiles in pregnant women: relationships with dyadic adjustment and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Does baseline psychiatric symptom severity predict well-being improvement in low-intensity mindfulness interventions? Psychiatry research communications September 1, 2024
- Effectiveness of mindfulness training on pregnancy stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in women in China: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology March 2, 2023
and 2 more in the library