Mindfulness for maternal health: A systematic umbrella review of effectiveness for addressing depression and anxiety symptoms

Objective: This umbrella review synthesizes evidence about the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions to improve mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Embase.com, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews published between January 1, 2015 and June 26, 2026. We included reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies of interventions (NRSIs) assessing effects of mindfulness on depression or anxiety in pregnant and postpartum populations, with stress reported as a secondary outcome.

Results: We synthesized evidence from 25 systematic reviews encompassing 104 unique primary studies (72 RCTs and 32 NRSIs) and 10,209 study participants. The majority of studies assessed well-structured mindfulness programs, often facilitated over 4-8 weeks of group sessions. However, interventions were heterogenous and included both self-directed and facilitated approaches, delivered in-person and digitally. Fifteen reviews conducted meta-analyses. They tended to find evidence of beneficial effects on depressive and anxiety symptoms, with standardized mean differences between intervention and control groups ranging from no difference to relatively large effect sizes. Evidence was rated low to very low per GRADE criteria, due to concerns about the methodological quality of reviews, risk of bias in primary studies, significant heterogeneity, and small sample sizes.

Conclusion: Mindfulness interventions may reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety among pregnant and postpartum women. However, the low-quality of evidence and methodological concerns warrant caution when interpreting results.