The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for children with autism and their parents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Qiyan Peng, Yujie Dong, Jie Jin, Huan Ao, Chi Zhang, Yanfei Ma
Frontiers in Psychology 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1526001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 643 |
| Population | Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and their parents |
| Intervention | mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Autism spectrum disorder Meta-analysis Mindfulness-based therapies Parent–child intervention Systematic review Mindfulness practices Mindfulness-based stress reduction Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Intervention efficacy Population Age Research synthesis Comprehensive review Dyadic intervention Caregiver support |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduce parental stress and improve social responsiveness in children with autism, but do not significantly reduce children's problematic behaviors or improve parental psychological resilience. |
Abstract
This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsycINFO and ERIC was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to December 31, 2024, that assessed the effects of MBIs on children with ASD and their parents. Two independent reviewers screened studies, extracted relevant data, and assessed the quality of the included literature. A meta-analysis was performed using standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 12 RCTs involving 643 participants were included. The meta-analysis showed that MBIs significantly reduced parental stress [SMD = -0.69, 95% CI (-1.36, -0.02), p = 0.04], improved parental mindfulness awareness [SMD = 3.08, 95% CI (0.26, 5.90), p = 0.03], and alleviated anxiety, depression, and stress in parents [SMD = -0.57, 95% CI (-1.09, -0.06), p = 0.03]. Additionally, MBIs significantly improved social responsiveness in children with autism [SMD = -0.35, 95% CI (-0.66, -0.04), p = 0.03]. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the MBI and control groups in reducing problematic behaviors in children [SMD = -0.45, 95% CI (-0.90, 0.00), p = 0.05], improving children's emotional and behavioral difficulties [SMD = -0.23, 95% CI (-0.66, 0.19), p = 0.28], or enhancing parental psychological resilience [SMD = 0.85, 95% CI (-1.96, 3.66), p = 0.55]. This meta-analysis demonstrates that MBIs significantly reduce parental stress, alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress, and enhance mindfulness awareness in parents of children with autism. Furthermore, MBIs were found to significantly improve social responsiveness in children with autism. However, their effects on children's emotional and behavioral challenges and parental psychological resilience remain inconclusive. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023424059.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Mindful Parenting for Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorder Diagnosis Children February 26, 2026
- Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and hopelessness in parents of children with autism: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of pediatric nursing 2026
Cites 7
- Mindfulness in cultural context Transcultural Psychiatry August 1, 2015
- Mindfulness-Based Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents: Direct and Long-Term Improvements Mindfulness October 5, 2017
- Enhancing Chinese preschoolers' executive function via mindfulness training: An fNIRS study. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience August 25, 2022
- Brief Report: Mindfulness Training for Chinese Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents in Hong Kong. Journal of autism and developmental disorders November 1, 2021
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Parents Implementing Early Intervention for Autism: An RCT Pediatrics April 1, 2020
and 2 more in the library