A Review of Meditation-Related Meta-Analytic Studies in Korea
Jae-hyun Park
Humanities and Meditation Research Institute June 30, 2026 DOI: 10.60140/mche.2026.4.1.1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditation programs demonstrated moderate to large effect sizes (g = 0.70–1.13), with consistent reductions in anxiety and stress. |
Abstract
This study aims to systematically analyze and review meta-analytic studies on meditation published in Korea between 2010 and 2024. Using multiple academic databases (RISS, KISS, DBpia, and KCI), a final set of 15 core meta-analytic papers was selected for analysis. The findings indicate that domestic meditation meta-analyses can be categorized into four major streams: first, studies examining the psychological effects of Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT); second, program effectiveness studies targeting specific populations such as adolescents, female college students, and older adults; third, studies focused on specific symptom domains including depression, anxiety, stress, and pain; and fourth, comparative effectiveness studies across different meditation types, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Overall, meditation programs demonstrated moderate to large effect sizes (g = 0.70–1.13), with particularly consistent findings for reductions in anxiety and stress. Nevertheless, several methodological limitations were repeatedly identified, including a low proportion of randomized controlled trials, insufficient follow-up assessments, and a lack of standardized measurement instruments. Future research should prioritize the expansion of long-term follow-up studies, comparative analyses across meditation modalities, exploration of neurological mechanisms, and empirical evaluation of digital meditation programs.
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 |