Minding the Body: A Meta-analysis of the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation Training on Self-reported Interoception.
Isaac N Treves, Ya-Yun Chen, Caitlyn L Wilson, Charles Verdonk, Joanne Qina Au, James E. Pustejovsky, Simon B. Goldberg, Wolf Mehling, Zev Schuman-Olivier, Sahib S. Khalsa
Research Square June 4, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6792067/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized Preregistered |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,191 |
| Population | Adults (77.8% female, mean age 32.8 years) from randomized controlled trials |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based programs body-based approaches |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Body awareness Mental health Interoception |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions had a small-to-medium positive effect on self-reported interoception (g = 0.31), with mindfulness-based programs showing the largest effects (g = 0.41), and improvements were related to reductions in psychological distress. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation training may cultivate interoceptive awareness and provide therapeutic benefit when implemented within mental and physical health interventions. This pre-registered meta-analysis evaluated the impact of mindfulness interventions on self-reported interoception measures and associated relationships with psychological outcomes. Twenty-nine randomized controlled trials with 2,191 participants (77.8% female, mean age 32.8 years) were meta-analyzed using correlated and hierarchical effects models. Interventions included mindfulness-based programs ( k = 15), body-based approaches (incorporating elements like massage, k = 8), and other variations ( k = 6). Five SIMs were tested; the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness was the most common (22 studies). Results showed a small-to-medium positive effect on interoception measures across all studies ( g = 0.31, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.21, 0.42]) with low-to-moderate heterogeneity ( τ = 0.16). Mindfulness-based programs demonstrated the largest effects ( g = 0.41). No evidence of publication bias was found. No other moderators, such as practice dosage or clinical sample, were significant. Improvements in self-reported interoception were similar in size to improvements in self-reported mindfulness and were related to improvements in psychological distress. These meta-analytic findings provide evidence that mindfulness-based interventions lead to adaptive changes in the subjective experience of interoception, perhaps contributing to improved mental wellbeing.
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 15
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Awareness in Patients with Chronic Pain and Comorbid Depression Frontiers in Psychology June 30, 2016
- The impact of a brief mindfulness training on interoception: A randomized controlled trial PLoS One September 7, 2022
- Impact of warm mindfulness on emotion regulation: A randomized controlled effectiveness trial. Health Psychology July 6, 2023
and 10 more in the library