The effectiveness of mindfulness-based meditation treatments for late life anxiety: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Abstract Objective Older adults are interested in mindfulness-based interventions with a meditation component for late life anxiety. This review examined the effectiveness of existing mindfulness-based interventions with a meditation component.

Methods: This systematic review was registered with the Joanna Briggs Institute on 2021-05-17, was guided by Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and followed the PRISMA framework. Peer-reviewed randomized control trials were reviewed. A systematic literature search was conducted, using the following databases: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO, CINAHL (EBSCO), and AMED.

Results: Of 2709 studies screened, seven eligible randomized controlled trials were included representing 355 participants. Sample sizes ranged from 36 to 141. Mindfulness-based meditation interventions used varied. Regardless of the mindfulness-based meditation intervention used, a reduction in symptoms of anxiety in participants was reported post-intervention. Results are reported through narrative summary and tables.

Conclusions: Based on the emerging literature of randomized controlled trials, mindfulness-based interventions with a meditation component appear to be promising in reducing symptoms of anxiety in older adults. These findings demonstrate a need for further randomized controlled trials to guide clinical practice.