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Comparative effectiveness of face-to-face and digital mindfulness-based interventions on maternal mental health resilience to psychological distress: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sheetal Rohit Sharma, Seeta Devi, Srikanth Pallerla, Sagar Rane, Nanda Raghunath Wagh

Psychology, Health & Medicine July 19, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2026.2691409 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Meta-analysis Peer reviewed
Sample size 4,199
Population Pregnant women
Topics Anxiety Depression Meditation
Keywords Psychological distress Mindfulness-based interventions Usual care Digital interventions
Key findings Mindfulness-based interventions during pregnancy were associated with reduced psychological distress, with overall standardized mean differences of -0.77 for anxiety, -0.57 for depression, and -0.64 for stress. Digital mindfulness-based interventions also showed significant reductions versus standard care in anxiety (-0.56), depression (-0.43), and stress (-0.70). The authors note substantial heterogeneity and call for further high-quality research.

Abstract

Maternal mental health is a major global concern affecting both pregnant women and fetal development. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown benefits in improving maternal mental health. This study assessed the effects of digital and conventional face-to-face MBIs on psychological distress among pregnant women. Two independent reviewers conducted the literature search and study selection. PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and ScienceDirect were searched for studies published between 2014 and 2025; 27 studies were included, involving 1,793 participants in the digital MBI group and 2,406 in the face-to-face MBI group. Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) with 95% CI was calculated for psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety) outcomes. Heterogeneity was assessed using Chi-square and I2 statistics. Due to substantial heterogeneity, a random-effects model and subgroup analyses were applied. MBIs during pregnancy were found to be effective, with overall SMDs of -0.77 for anxiety, -0.57 for depression and -0.64 for stress. In the subgroup analysis, digital MBI studies also showed significant reductions in anxiety (SMD = -0.56, 95% CI: -0.92 to -0.20; p = 0.006), depression (SMD = -0.43, 95% CI: -0.69 to -0.17; p = 0.001), and stress (SMD = -0.70, 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.27; p = 0.001) compared with standard care. MBIs were effective in reducing psychological distress among pregnant women. Both digital and face-to-face MBIs improved maternal psychological well-being, with digital MBIs showing comparable benefits in some studies. However, substantial heterogeneity across studies indicates the need for further high-quality research to confirm these findings.

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

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Anxiety Depression Meditation