Mindfulness and Mental Health: Conceptual Foundations, Mechanisms, and Contemporary Evidence
Vo van Nghia
International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.55248/gengpi.07.0426.a951 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that mindfulness is best understood as a promising, scalable, transdiagnostic mental health resource rather than a universal cure. Mindfulness-based approaches such as MBSR and MBCT show consistent benefits for anxiety, depression, stress, psychological distress, and quality of life, though effect sizes vary across populations and research designs. Proposes attentional regulation, emotion regulation, decentering, acceptance, and stress buffering as core mechanisms linking mindfulness to mental health outcomes. |
Abstract
This article develops the author's previous essay on the relationship between mindfulness and mental health into a journal-style review paper.Its purpose is to clarify the conceptual foundations of mindfulness and mental health, synthesize major findings from contemporary empirical literature, and discuss the mechanisms by which mindfulness may contribute to psychological well-being and the reduction of distress.In contemporary psychology, mindfulness is generally understood as purposeful, present-moment, and non-judgmental awareness, while mental health is increasingly defined not only as the absence of disorder but also as a state of well-being that enables individuals to cope with life stressors, realize their capacities, learn, work, and contribute to society.The paper adopts a narrative review design and integrates influential conceptual papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses on mindfulness-based interventions.Across the literature, mindfulness-based approaches such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy show consistent benefits for anxiety, depression, stress, psychological distress, and quality of life, although effect sizes vary across populations and research designs.The article also reviews attentional regulation, emotion regulation, decentering, acceptance, and stress buffering as core mechanisms linking mindfulness with mental health outcomes.On that basis, the paper argues that mindfulness is best understood as a promising, scalable, and transdiagnostic mental health resource rather than a universal cure.It is particularly relevant in educational, community, and preventive settings, and may hold special value in Vietnam where Buddhist contemplative traditions and contemporary mental health needs increasingly intersect.The paper concludes by identifying methodological limitations in the existing literature and suggesting directions for future research, especially culturally grounded studies in non-Western contexts.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Research Review: The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents – a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry October 22, 2018
- How Does Mindfulness Training Affect Health? A Mindfulness Stress Buffering Account Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2014
- Mindfulness‐based interventions for psychological and physical health outcomes in cancer patients and survivors: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Psycho-Oncology September 11, 2019
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being November 19, 2019
and 4 more in the library