The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Depressive Symptoms and Their Relationship to Interoceptive Awareness: A Systematic Review.
Samantha Knep, Alice Shires
Alpha psychiatry December 1, 2025 DOI: 10.31083/AP39860 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 646 |
| Population | Adults over 18 with depressive symptoms |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based interventions Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Mindfulness-based Cancer Recovery Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Adult Cognitive behavioural therapy |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduce depressive symptoms and improve interoceptive awareness, with interoceptive awareness identified as a partial mediator of this relationship. |
Abstract
This systematic review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in treating depression, enhancing interoceptive awareness (IA), and whether IA mediates this relationship. In August 2024, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in web-based medical and psychological databases, including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Scopus, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies were included if they were quantitative, peer-reviewed, in English, used MBIs derived from Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), or Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (MiCBT), included a control/comparison group, pre- and post-intervention measures, assessed depressive symptoms and IA in adults over 18, and had at least 20 participants. Exclusion criteria included non-English publications, dissertations, case studies, qualitative research, therapies not derived from the specified MBIs, and studies with under 20 participants or individuals under 18. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed. Six studies involving 646 participants met the inclusion criteria. All MBIs (MBCT, MBSR, MiCBT, Mindfulness-based Cancer Recovery, and Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy) significantly reduced depressive symptomology and improved IA across varying effect sizes, with IA identified as a partial mediator. MBIs appear to alleviate depressive symptoms and improve IA, with one study finding IA as a mediator. Limitations included limited literature, search term specificity, heterogeneity and mixed evidence quality. Future research should explore IA's mediating role, develop a standardised IA measure, and integrate IA into broader treatment modalities to enhance outcomes. CRD42023457300, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023457300.
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 32
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Mindfulness starts with the body: somatosensory attention and top-down modulation of cortical alpha rhythms in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Awareness in Patients with Chronic Pain and Comorbid Depression Frontiers in Psychology June 30, 2016
and 27 more in the library