Brief mindfulness interventions as first aid for psychological distress
Dudati Akhila, Anupama Pandey
International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development August 1, 2026 DOI: 10.33545/26180723.2026.v9.i8c.4012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Literature review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Brief mindfulness interventions are effective across populations in reducing stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and burnout while improving emotional regulation, attention, resilience, cognitive flexibility, and well-being, with feasibility in various settings, though methodological limitations persist. |
Abstract
Brief Mindfulness Interventions (BMIs) have?been receiving growing interest as cost-effective and time-saving alternatives to the traditional mindfulness-based programs. This literature review summarises?the evidence on the effectiveness, delivery modalities, psychological mechanisms of change, methodological constraints and real-world feasibility of BMIs in various populations. Results consistently support that very brief as well as long-term mindfulness training provided using single-session workshops, multi-session programs, online programs, or mobile apps is effective in yielding reductions in stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and burnout while directing significant improvements in emotional regulation, attention, resilience, and cognitive flexibility, with increased levels?of overall well-being. There are many ways these effects could occur, including enhanced emotion regulation, greater meta-awareness, bolstered cognitive reappraisal and acceptance capacity, promotion of nonattachment tendencies, and increased distress tolerance. However, in the field of BMI, there are limitations, including self-reported BMI measurements, homogeneity of samples, inconsistent intervention protocols and adherence, and limited long-term follow-up data. Evidence further suggests that the feasibility of BMIs is?very strong in workplace, academic, care (‘medicine’), and digital settings when interventions are matched to participants’ schedules/needs for engagement. In sum, the review suggests that BMIs represent effective, 'scalable' and 'accessible' tools for fostering psychological well-being, while calling into question some?of these terms themselves, yet also highlights the need for future studies to adopt methodological rigour, diverse sampling, multimodal assessment, and the sustainability of effects over time.
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 |