Clinical effects of mindfulness-based interventions for adults with a history of childhood maltreatment: a scoping review.
Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry June 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s40501-021-00240-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults with histories of childhood maltreatment |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Early life stress Childhood maltreatment Mind-body interventions Mindful self-compassion msc Trauma sensitive mindfulness |
| Key findings | The authors conclude that mindfulness-based interventions can be beneficial for alleviating psychological symptoms including stress, anxiety, recurrent depression, substance use, and post-traumatic stress in adults with childhood maltreatment histories. They note that study quality and effect sizes varied widely, that inconsistent outcome measures and control conditions hindered comparison across studies, and that adaptations may be necessary for this population. |
Abstract
Survivors of childhood maltreatment are at high risk for developing complex psychiatric disorders. Traditional treatments, including psychopharmacology, tend to be less efficacious for this population. This scoping review aimed to discuss existing empirical studies on the effects of mindfulness-based interventions for adult childhood trauma survivors, as well as the documented clinical challenges and adaptations for this population. We reviewed 17 research articles that measured the effects of mindfulness-based interventions for adults with childhood maltreatment histories. These studies showed that mindfulness-based interventions can be beneficial for childhood maltreatment survivors to alleviate psychological symptoms including stress, anxiety, recurrent depression, substance use, and post-traumatic stress. Studies had a wide range of methodological quality and reported a broad range of effect sizes. The wide variety of outcome measures and control conditions made it difficult to compare across studies. Mindfulness-based interventions can be beneficial for addressing psychopathology among adults with childhood maltreatment histories, although some adaptations can be necessary to address possible challenges this population are likely to encounter. More research is needed to specifically evaluate the clinical effects among childhood maltreatment survivors and to directly compare the effects among those with and without childhood maltreatment histories.
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 13
- Childhood adversity severity modulates the associations between adaptive psychological changes and amygdala volumetric changes in response to behavioral interventions. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports 2024
- Temporal dynamics and long-term effects of a mindfulness-based intervention for young adults with adverse childhood experiences. Mindfulness September 1, 2024
- Childhood trauma and subclinical PTSD symptoms predict adverse effects and worse outcomes across two mindfulness-based programs for active depression. PLoS One 2025
- Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders March 1, 2025
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Psychological Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry July 30, 2025
and 8 more in the library
Cites 40
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- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
and 35 more in the library