The effects of mindfulness‐based stress reduction on depression, anxiety, and stress in older adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Simon Y. W. Li, D. Bressington
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing January 17, 2019 DOI: 10.1111/inm.12568 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Older adults |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR is more effective than a wait-list control at reducing depression in older adults with clinically significant symptoms immediately following the intervention, but there is no clear evidence it reduces stress or anxiety or that effects are maintained long-term. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been widely used to improve various physical and mental conditions. Studies show the intervention is particularly effective in alleviating depression, anxiety, and stress in working-aged adults. No recent systematic review has focused on the use of MBSR in older adults. This study aims to examine the effects of MBSR intervention on depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms of older adults. Five electronic databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1990 and 2017. Six eligible studies were included and computed for meta-analysis. The methodological quality and risk of biases across the included RCTs were assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Overall, the amount of evidence is limited and of relatively low quality. The results of this review provide evidence that the MBSR is more effective than wait-list-control group to reduce depression in older adults with clinically significant symptoms immediately following the intervention. However, there is no clear evidence that the intervention reduced the perception of stress and anxiety, or that positive effects are maintained over the longer term. More robust studies involving larger sample sizes and using longer follow-up measurements are required.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 55
- Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review British Medical Bulletin April 21, 2021
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on depression, emotion regulation, and sleep problems: A randomized controlled trial study on depressed elderly. BMC Public Health January 23, 2024
- A meta-analysis of the association between mindfulness and motivation Frontiers in Public Health August 8, 2023
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review. Brain Sciences September 30, 2024
and 50 more in the library
Cites 15
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- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Older Adults With Stress Disorders and Neurocognitive Difficulties: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry July 2017
- An open trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction for young adults with social anxiety disorder. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology February 2017
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Older Adults: A Review of the Effects on Physical and Emotional Well-being. Mindfulness September 14, 2015
and 10 more in the library