The effect of mindfulness and acceptance on perceived post-traumatic growth: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Jacques St Laurent, Jenny Limond, Anke Karl
European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation June 21, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejtd.2026.100715 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,114 |
| Population | Cancer patients participating in nine randomized controlled trials |
| Intervention | Mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions (MABIs) |
| Measures | Posttraumatic Growth Inventory |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions showed medium pooled effects on global post-traumatic growth (g = 0.54) and New Possibilities (g = 0.51), small effects on Relating to Others (g = 0.39) and Personal Strength (g = 0.38), and negligible effects on Spiritual Change (g = 0.14) and Appreciation of Life (g = 0.24). The authors caution that confidence is limited by the small number of studies, risk of bias, intervention heterogeneity, and lack of generalisability beyond cancer populations. |
Abstract
Perceived post-traumatic growth (PTG) refers to self-reported positive change resulting from the struggle with a traumatic experience. There is evidence that mindfulness- and acceptance- based interventions (MABIs) can increase perceived PTG, but this has yet to be reviewed or assessed using meta-analysis. This study investigated the effectiveness of MABIs at increasing perceived PTG across the five domains of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Systematic searches of bibliographic databases and the grey literature (2026, January 18) led to the selection of nine randomised controlled trials (total n = 1114), all conducted with cancer patients. Risk of bias was “high” for three studies and presented “some concerns” for six studies. Meta-analyses (total n = 976), performed using a random-effects model to pool individual study effect sizes (Hedges’ g ), found medium effects on Global PTG ( g = 0.54, 95% CI [0.24 to 0.83]) and New Possibilities ( g = 0.51, 95% CI [0.27 to 0.75]), small effects on Relating to Others ( g = 0.39, 95% CI [0.19, 0.59]) and Personal Strength ( g = 0.38, 95% CI [0.17 to 0.6]), and negligible effects on Spiritual Change ( g = 0.14, 95% CI [0.03 to 0.27]) and Appreciation of Life ( g = 0.24, 95% CI [0.035 to 0.44]). These findings suggest possible effects, but confidence was limited by the small number of studies, risk of bias, intervention heterogeneity, and lack of generalisability beyond oncology populations. There is a need for better designed randomised controlled trials among diverse trauma-affected populations to develop a more robust evidence base.
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
Cites 7
- Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A State-of-the-art Review. Current Neuropharmacology 2024
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy on Posttraumatic Growth and Quality of Life in Patients With Breast Cancer Under Early Chemotherapy Holistic Nursing Practice August 28, 2022
- Mindfulness and Behavior Change Harvard Review of Psychiatry November 1, 2020
- It matters what you practice: differential training effects on subjective experience, behavior, brain and body in the ReSource Project. Current Opinion in Psychology August 1, 2019
- Relating dispositional mindfulness, contemplative practice, and positive reappraisal with posttraumatic cognitive coping, stress, and growth. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy September 1, 2017
and 2 more in the library