The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on emotion regulation/dysregulation in people with mental health conditions: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Thomas Easdale‐Cheele, George Nash, Veronika Filobokova, Chloe Westbury, Alessio Bellato
JCPP Advances February 12, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.70103 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 988 |
| Population | People with mental health conditions established by an adequately trained healthcare professional according to DSM or ICD criteria |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health Psychological intervention Cognitive reappraisal Cognition Meta-analysis Protocol science Expressive suppression Cognitive appraisal Clinical psychology Quality philosophy |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions significantly improved cognitive reappraisal and reduced overall emotion dysregulation across diagnoses, but did not significantly affect expressive suppression. |
Abstract
Abstract Background We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to examine the effects of mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) on emotion regulation (ER) and emotion dysregulation (ED) in people with any mental health condition.
Methods: Following a pre‐registered protocol (PROSPERO CRD42024618605), we searched multiple databases (Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase, and PubMed) on 04/07/2025. We identified randomised‐controlled trials (RCTs) in which the effects of MBIs on ER or ED were measured in people with mental health conditions established by an adequately trained healthcare professional according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (from third to fifth editions) or equivalent diagnosis as per the International Classification of Diseases (ninth or 10th revisions). Pooled effect sizes (Hedge's g ) were estimated using random‐effect meta‐analyses. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2 .
Results: We identified 19 RCTs, with 16 in the meta‐analyses (988 participants in total; 50.71% randomised to MBIs). We found that MBIs significantly improved cognitive reappraisal ( k = 6, g = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.33, 0.98) and reduced overall ED ( k = 9; g = −0.54; CI = −0.71, −0.36). Significant reductions in ED domains concerning goal‐directedness, impulsivity, and accessing ER strategies were found. Effects for expressive suppression were nonsignificant ( k = 6; g = −0.25; CI = −0.94, 0.45) with significant heterogeneity. Study quality significantly moderated both ER outcomes, though not overall ED.
Conclusion: MBIs show potential for improving cognitive reappraisal and reducing ED across diagnoses. However, limited evidence for younger people and self‐report measurements warrant cautious interpretation.
Trial Registration: NIHR PROSPERO 2024 CRD42024618605. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024618605 .
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
Cited by 2
- Finding flow at the piano: psychological regulation and configurational profiles among art students at Chinese sport universities. Frontiers in Psychology August 3, 2026
- Sequential influences of emotion regulation and rumination in trait mindfulness-depression relationships. Journal of Affective Disorders July 1, 2026
Cites 28
- Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review British Medical Bulletin April 21, 2021
- Research Review: The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents – a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry October 22, 2018
- Inside the Mindful Mind Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2013
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry. FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry January 24, 2018
and 23 more in the library