Can mindfulness-based stress reduction relieve depressive symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Feng-Qin Ding, Jing Wu, Y. Zhang
Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology 2023 DOI: 10.1177/18344909221145814 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants in 32 randomized controlled trials of MBSR for depressive symptoms, including people with major depressive disorder |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR showed significant improvements in depressive symptoms compared to control groups, with stronger intervention effects for people with major depressive disorder. Cultural background and sample origin did not significantly affect results, and no publication bias was detected. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is becoming more and more popular in treating depressive symptoms, but previous studies have come to different conclusions. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of MBSR in alleviating depressive symptoms. A systematic search was conducted across seven electronic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Meta-analytic methods were applied by using random-effect models. The quality was assessed with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Thirty-two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 37 independent effect sizes were eligible for the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that MBSR showed significant improvements on depressive symptoms compared to the control group, and the intervention effects were more significant for people with major depression disorder. However, neither cultural background nor sample origin had significant effects on the results of intervention. In addition, there was no publication bias in the meta-analysis, and the sensitivity analysis results indicated that the result was reliable. Findings suggests that MBSR can improve depressive symptoms, and future studies should consider the effects of different levels of depression to improve the intervention benefits of MBSR.
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
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction training supplemented with physiological signals from smartwatch improves mindfulness and reduces stress, but not anxiety and depression. PLoS One 2025
- The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Stress and Quality of Life in Family Caregivers of Patients with Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial Mindfulness May 1, 2024
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and 15 more in the library