Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the mood benefits of meditation: A narrative review.
Michaela C. Pascoe, Michael de Manincor, Jana Tseberja, Mats Hallgren, Peter A Baldwin, Alexandra G Parker
Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology March 10, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100037 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Meditation practices |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Brain Stress Autonomic nervous system |
| Key findings | The authors propose that the magnitude of the stress response to psychological stressors depends on modifiable psychological processes such as self-compassion, dispositional mindfulness, rumination, and attentional bias, and that meditation practices can decrease stress and improve mood by reducing stress reactivity at psychological, physiological, and neurobiological levels. |
Abstract
Psychological stressors can lead to distress and result in autonomic arousal and activation of a stress response. Ongoing or persistent stress can disrupt the stress response feedback mechanisms and result in elevated cortisol and pro-inflammatory cytokines which can cause damage to brain regions involved in the regulation of mood and emotion. We propose that the magnitude of the stress response experienced in response to psychological stressors depends on a number of modifiable psychological processes including an individual's level of self-compassion, dispositional mindfulness, tendency to ruminate and attentional bias. We further propose that the stress response elected by psychological stressors can be meditated by influencing these modifiable psychological processes, and that meditation practices can decrease stress and improve mood by decreasing stress reactivity on a psychological, physiological and neurobiological level. We explore this in a narrative review.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 21
- Cognitive, psychological, and physiological effects of a web-based mindfulness intervention in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: an open study. BMC Geriatrics February 14, 2024
- Mind and body connection in expert meditators: a computational study based on central and peripheral nervous system BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies March 7, 2024
- Enhancing Equanimity With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: A Novel Framework for Mindfulness Interventions. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Death recollection moderates stress-influenced depression in Thai boarding school students. BMC Psychology July 29, 2025
- PCC-hippocampal functional connectivity associated with stress biomarker changes after meditation training for healthy adults. Neuroscience Letters May 23, 2025
and 16 more in the library
Cites 51
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Cerebral Cortex April 9, 2008
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
and 46 more in the library