The use of mindfulness-based interventions in stroke rehabilitation: A scoping review.
Toby C T Mak, Thomson W L Wong, Shamay S M Ng
Rehabilitation psychology August 2023 DOI: 10.1037/rep0000505 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Individuals poststroke |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based interventions mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The review indicates mixed results on the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions after stroke: most included studies showed significant improvements in mental fatigue, cognition, and quality of life, while outcomes for mood and physical functioning were inconsistent. The authors conclude that the evidence lends qualified support to mindfulness as a potentially beneficial therapeutic intervention, but highlight gaps such as limited evidence for mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, inadequate evaluation of physical outcomes, and a lack of methodologically robust trials. |
Abstract
There is emerging evidence for the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to improve health outcomes in the context of stroke rehabilitation. This scoping review identified recently available evidence and possible research gaps regarding how MBIs affect psychological and physical rehabilitation outcomes in individuals poststroke. Electronic searches were performed using the four major databases, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Sixteen studies out of a total of 404 relevant studies met the selection criteria for inclusion in this review. Our findings indicate diverse results on the benefits of MBIs in individuals poststroke across a range of rehabilitative outcomes. For instance, significant improvements in mental fatigue, cognition, and quality of life were observed for most of the studies while the outcomes for mood and physical functioning were mixed. The available evidence lends qualified support to the view that mindfulness has the potential to be a therapeutic intervention that offers health benefits to individuals poststroke. Yet, the diversity of results highlights the need for a more rigorous examination in further research. We also identified several knowledge gaps in mindfulness research in the stroke population, such as the limited amount of evidence for mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), inadequate evaluations of physical outcomes, and the lack of methodologically robust trials. Further investigations are warranted to strengthen the evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of MBIs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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 6
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy during poststroke rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial. International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptation September 1, 2024
- Efficacy of Mindfulness Meditation on Patients With Stroke With Concurrent Coronary Heart Disease: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 2024
- Effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on rumination and post-traumatic growth in patients with acute cerebral infarction: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine May 30, 2025
- Combining Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy With Escitalopram for Cognitive and Emotional Recovery in Older Adults With Treatment-Resistant Depression. Journal of Clinical Psychology August 1, 2026
- Solution-focused brief therapy combined with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for post-stroke depression: a randomized controlled trial. Topics in stroke rehabilitation March 1, 2026
and 1 more in the library