Mindfulness self-help interventions for symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress: Review and meta-analysis
Kristy Martin, Nima Golijani-Moghaddam, R. Das Nair
February 12, 2018 DOI: 10.12968/ijtr.2018.25.2.82 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | Pooled analyses indicate that self-help mindfulness interventions significantly reduce depression, anxiety, and stress compared with control conditions. However, subgroup analyses by control type (active versus passive) showed no significant differences for depression or anxiety. The authors caution that few studies, small samples, high heterogeneity, and mixed risk-of-bias ratings limit confidence in these findings. |
Abstract
Background: Mindfulness-based therapy has been found to be an efficacious treatment for a range of mental and physical health conditions. There are increasing efforts to deliver benefits of mindfulness through less intensive/more accessible modalities but whether this efficacy holds in lower-intensity forms is unknown. This paper reviews the effectiveness of mindfulness delivered in a self-help manner for reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress.
Methods: We conducted a systematic search on a number of databases. Data were analysed with primary outcome measures of depression, anxiety and stress, and a secondary outcome of mindfulness. Sub-group analyses were completed for active control versus passive control.
Findings: Analyses revealed statistically significant differences for primary and secondary outcomes, favouring the intervention group. Sub-group analyses were conducted for depression and anxiety (passive control) and depression (active control) and showed no significant differences.
Discussion: There is support for the use of mindfulness in a self-help format, although there are relatively few studies and sample sizes are generally small. The high heterogeneity reduces the potential impact of these findings as well as mixed ratings for risk of bias within studies. Limitations of this review and implications for future research are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- A brief transnational measure of mindfulness: measurement invariance of the Five Item Mindfulness-Based Awareness Scale in six Latin American countries Medical Education & Clinical Practice May 4, 2026
- The Effects of Mindfulness Techniques on Anxiety, Depression, and Stress, with an Emphasis on Gratitude: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Healthcare February 27, 2026
- The key role of cognitive fusion linking mindfulness and personality: a cross-sectional study. Scientific Reports September 23, 2025
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