Mapping the evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions as a stress recovery strategy in the workplace: a scoping review

Stress is a major problem among university students due to the circumstances from internal as well as external such as relationship problems, low self-confidence, and academic pressure. We administered self-report questionnaires and acquired peripheral physiological signals to observe the effectiveness of a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MI) in improving relaxation and thus reducing stress. It was found that skin conductance (SC) showed significant change with p=0.0016 after MI unlike blood volume pulse (BVP) and respiratory rate (RR), even though both were found to be slightly better than that before MI during the resting states and Stroop Task. SC can thus be a potential indicator for the effectiveness of MI in helping the student subjects to cope with stress better and to improve their relaxation and attention levels.

IntroductionMindfulness is one of the potential alternative interventions for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some evidence suggests that mindfulness is related to changes in brain regions associated with ADHD....

Adolescent Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) represent a significant global public health concern, driving the need for effective strategies to reduce both consumption and its impact on quality of life. This scoping review examines current scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) in treating adolescents with SUDs and identifies knowledge gaps to guide future research and intervention development of targeted treatment protocols. The scoping review was conducted by adapting PRISMA guidelines to broaden search results in databases, including studies involving adolescents who received MBIs as treatment for substance use. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings were organized into four categories: sociodemographic characteristics, types of substances and comorbidities, types of interventions, and outcomes. The direct impact of MBIs on reducing substance use and preventing relapse remains inconclusive, mainly due to methodological limitations, small sample sizes, and high dropout rates. While MBIs show promise in addressing the cognitive and psychological dimensions of SUDs, further high-quality research is required to confirm their effectiveness in promoting abstinence and relapse prevention. Future studies should prioritize rigorous experimental designs, larger samples, and standardized protocols.

Very preterm (VPT) adolescents show executive and socio-emotional difficulties that persist into adulthood. Beneficial effect of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) has been found in VPT young adolescents immediately after the end of the intervention. This study aims to examine the long-term effects of an 8-week MBI (2 to 5 years after the completion of the 8-week MBI) on executive and socio-emotional competencies in VPT adolescents. The 'Mindful Preterm Teens - Follow-Up' study included 21 VPT adolescents, born before 32 weeks of gestation, who had previously completed the MBI, as well as 22 VPT and 28 full-term adolescents (aged 13 to 18) who had never participated in an MBI. Executive and socio-emotional competencies were assessed using self- and parent-reported questionnaires, as well as using neuropsychological testing. Past and current mindfulness practices were collected via self- and parent-questionnaires. Pearson's correlations were used to explore associations between current mindfulness practice and outcome measures, and group differences in outcome scores were analysed using multivariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). In VPT adolescents who had previously completed the MBI, current mindfulness practice was generally infrequent (ranging from at least once per month to no practice). This group showed a significant association between lower levels of current mindfulness practice with reduced parent-rated anxiety. When comparing the group of VPT adolescents who had completed the MBI with both VPT and FT participants who had not, no significant differences were observed in executive and socio-emotional competencies. We observed no significant effect of MBI on the long-term (i.e., 2 to 5 years after the end of the MBI) in VPT adolescents. Regular mindfulness pratice might be needed to maintain the immediate beneficial effect of MBI.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently report poor psychological well-being. Previous research has supported mindfulness-based interventions to enhance psychological well-being in parents of children with ASD, but studies about this topic are still rare. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on perceived stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of children with ASD in Jordan. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a comparison group was used. A sample of 104 parents of children with ASD has completed the study. Parents were matched on measures of age, gender, and level of severity of ASD in their children based on DSM-V criteria and randomized to one of the two groups. The intervention group participated in 5-week mindfulness-based intervention program, while participants in the comparison group had not attended the program between pretest and posttest measures. Participants in both groups had poor psychological well-being before the intervention program. After the intervention program, the one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that parents in the intervention group had better outcomes on the measures of psychological well-being and mindfulness than those in the comparison group (P < 0.01). Furthermore, results of paired samples t test indicated that parents in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in measures of stress, anxiety, depression, and mindfulness scores with medium to large effect size (Cohen d between 0.42 and 0.85, P < 0.01). Although the comparison group demonstrated small improvement in measures of the dependent variables, these improvements were much less than improvements in the intervention group. The MBIs are culturally adaptable, feasible, and effective interventions to improve psychological well-being in parents of children with ASD.

Mindfulness is increasingly recognized in education as an evidence-based approach to strengthening teachers’ self-regulatory functioning and overall well-being. This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on perceived mindfulness, self-compassion, and achievement goal orientations among prospective teachers. Participants were assigned to an intervention or control group, and the measurement instruments were administered at pretest and posttest. The ANCOVA tests showed significant gains in mindfulness and self-compassion for the MBI group relative to the control group, alongside increases in mastery-approach goal orientation. In contrast, the intervention had no considerable effects on mastery-avoidance or performance-avoidance goals, and was associated with a decrease in performance-approach goals. Taken together, the findings suggest that integrating MBIs into teacher-education programs may strengthen personal resources and motivational orientations. Future randomized trials with larger samples and follow-up are needed to test durability and mechanisms of the intervention effect. By integrating perspectives on self-compassion and achievement motivation, this study extends prior mindfulness research in teacher education, advancing the understanding of how mindfulness-based approaches may enhance adaptive personal and motivational capacities among prospective teachers.

ObjectivesWhereas some women may perceive pregnancy as a welcome challenge and a source of satisfaction, self-development, and maturity, others may experience perinatal-specific stress (PSS). Emerging evidence has demonstrated the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for perinatal women. Given the debate about the effects of MBIs on PSS reduction, as well as the limitations of existing studies, such as practical concerns and small sample sizes, the current study aimed to contribute further evidence by utilizing a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the effects of mobile-delivered MBIs on women’s PSS and neonatal outcomes, compared with outcomes from a mobile-delivered psychoeducation intervention.MethodOne hundred and seventy-eight adult pregnant women were randomized into two groups––one to receive a mobile-delivered eight-session MBI (n = 93) and the other to receive a web-based perinatal education program (n = 85). Outcomes included perinatal distress, mindfulness, and neonatal outcomes.ResultsWomen in the MBI group showed a significantly greater reduction in their PSS levels from baseline to the follow-up-timepoint (T2) compared with the control group. The MBI group had a significant enhancement of mindfulness, and their newborns had higher Apgar scores compared with the control group. Mindfulness improvement levels after the intervention significantly mediated the intervention effect in reducing the participating women’s PSS levels.ConclusionsWith a reasonably high participation rate (approximately 75%), the MBI delivered by mobile phone can be a feasible, desirable, and efficacious intervention for reducing perinatal-specific stress throughout pregnancy and enhancing neonatal outcomes.

Risky decision-making is highly influenced by emotions and can lead to fatal consequences. Attempts to reduce risk-taking include the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI), which have shown promising results for both emotion regulation (ER) and risk-taking. However, it is still unclear whether improved emotion regulation is the mechanism responsible for reduced risk-taking. In the present study, we explore the effect of a 5-week MBI on risky driving in a group of repeat traffic offenders by comparing them with non-repeat offenders and repeat offenders without training. We evaluated the driving behavior of the participants through a driving simulation, and self-reported emotion regulation, both before and after the intervention. At baseline, poor emotion regulation was related to a more unstable driving behavior, and speeding. The group that received mindfulness training showed improved performance during risky driving situations and had fewer accidents, although their overall driving behavior remained largely unchanged. The observed trend toward improved emotion regulation was not significant. We discuss whether other effects of MBI – such as self-regulation of attention – could underlie the observed reduction in risky driving in the initial stages. Nonetheless, our findings still confirm the close relationship between emotion regulation skills and risky driving.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on quality of life and positive reappraisal coping among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

Mindfulness-based interventions may offer a promising approach for promoting psychological and physical health and wellbeing for patients with heart failure. However, the effects of mindfulness-based interventions for this population have not been systematically reviewed. This review aimed to synthesise available evidence to assess the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological and physical outcomes and health-related quality of life in patients with heart failure. Seven English and two Chinese electronic databases were searched with keywords from inception to May 2019. Experimental studies that examined mindfulness-based interventions in adults with heart failure were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction and study quality assessment. The results were then narratively synthesised. This review identified five studies involving 467 patients with heart failure. The reviewed studies had weak to moderate quality. There were consistent findings that mindfulness-based interventions could significantly reduce depression (three studies) and anxiety (two studies) and improve health-related quality of life (two studies) after intervention. However, the effects on physical symptoms were inconsistent in three studies. The effects on physical function were only measured in one study, with non-significant changes being reported. This review provides preliminary evidence that mindfulness-based interventions are beneficial for patients with heart failure in reducing depression and anxiety and enhancing health-related quality of life in the short term. These findings should be carefully generalised considering the methodological limitations across studies. More rigorous studies are required to examine further the effects of mindfulness-based interventions in patients with heart failure.

Background An increasing number of people are living with coronary heart disease (CHD) globally. Psychological conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety are prevalent for people with CHD, which impose a great challenge for secondary prevention of CHD. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), which incorporate mindfulness skills and cognitive or behavioural therapy, are suggested as a promising approach to help patients with CHD to improve their psychological health. However, the effectiveness of MBIs for patients with CHD has not been systematically reviewed. Purpose To synthesise the evidence regarding the effects of MBIs on reducing perceived stress, depression, and anxiety in patients with CHD. Methods Search was conducted in seven English electronic databases and two Chinese electronic databases from inception to January 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of MBIs on stress, depression, and anxiety in adults with CHD were included. Two reviewers independently screened records for eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risks of bias using the Cochrane tool. Meta-analysis was conducted by combining the standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of post-intervention outcome measures using Review Manager Version 5.3. We used a fixed-effects model if no significant heterogeneity (I² &amp;lt; 50%), while in case of significant heterogeneity (50% &amp;lt; I² &amp;lt; 75%), we used a random-effects model. Results Six RCTs involving 473 participants were included. Five of all studies compared MBIs with inactive controls (i.e., usual care and waitlist control). The remaining study utilized a self-help group that received a booklet containing identical mindfulness information as an active control. There were high concerns about the risk of bias across studies, mainly in performance bias and detection bias. The meta-analysis of two studies showed MBIs may reduce perceived stress at post-intervention (SMD -0.82; 95% CI -1.28 to -0.36; P &amp;lt; 0.001; I² 0%) compared with inactive controls. Compared with active control, the single study did not observe a significant reduction of perceived stress in intervention group. The meta-analysis of five studies revealed that MBIs appear effective in reducing depression (SMD -1.08; 95% CI -1.28 to -0.87; P &amp;lt; 0.001; I² 22%) and anxiety (SMD -1.16; 95% CI -1.57 to -0.75; P &amp;lt; 0.001; I² 71%) immediately after intervention, compared with inactive or active controls. Conclusions The results of this review provide evidence for the effects of MBIs on reduction in perceived stress, depression and anxiety at post-intervention in patients with CHD. However, these findings need to be interpreted with caution given the small sample size and methodological limitations within included studies. Rigorous-designed research is urgently needed to further confirm the effectiveness of MBIs on improving psychological health and explore its sustainable effects in patients with CHD.

Burn injuries lead to significant physical and psychological consequences, including chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, depression, and social isolation. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been proposed as a holistic approach to address these challenges in burn rehabilitation. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of dispositional mindfulness and MBIs, including mindfulness meditation, yoga, and self-compassion training, in managing pain, emotional distress, and psychosocial adaptation in burn survivors. A comprehensive literature search was conducted through MEDLINE and Web of Science, covering studies up to February 2025, with additional papers retrieved from Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar. Studies were included if they reported quantitative data on the effects of MBIs in burn patients and/or their families, excluding opinion pieces, editorials, reviews, and qualitative studies. After screening 91 studies retrieved from the databases and adding a compelling paper retrieved from the other sources explored, 12 studies were included in the final pool, categorized into cross-sectional studies (n = 6), and intervention studies (n = 6). The extracted data included publication year, research design, sample characteristics, intervention details, main findings, and data for quality assessment. The synthesis of the results suggests that mindfulness is associated with reduced psychological symptoms, improved emotional regulation, and enhanced self-compassion, leading to better coping strategies and social reintegration. However, the long-term efficacy of MBIs remains inconclusive, and further research is needed to differentiate mindfulness-specific effects from those of general physical exercise. Evidence also suggests that mindfulness interventions may reduce anxiety and secondary trauma in children with burns and their caregivers. This review highlights the potential of MBIs as adjuncts to conventional burn rehabilitation programs, but further high-quality trials are needed to establish their sustained efficacy and to understand the specific benefits of mindfulness.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention on educational stress and coping with exam anxiety and mindfulness in nursing students. This study utilizes a quasi-experimental design with the pretest-post-test control group. Personal information form, nursing education stress scale (NESS), state test anxiety scale (STAS), and mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS) were employed as data collection instruments in the study. The study group of the research consisted of 68 students in university. Findings indicated statistically significant differences between the changes in the participant’s scores in the control and experimental groups in the overall NESS in the post-test and the application stress and academic stress scale. The results further found a statistically significant difference between the changes in the scores of the participants in the control and experimental groups in the post-test from the MASS. The intervention based on mindfulness stress reduction led to positive results in students’ coping with exam anxiety. Educational programs should be organized to enable students to cope more effectively with the stressors they encounter. Therefore, it is believed that it would be appropriate to introduce similar programs in the education process of nursing students.

Background: Nonattachment is an important component of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs), including its application within post-traumatic stress (PTS) contexts. However, within trauma contexts, there is limited understanding of the role and effectiveness of MBIs that integrate nonattachment. Objective: This study aimed to identify and evaluate evidence regarding the effectiveness of MBIs with nonattachment elements used with PTS populations. Methods: This review followed the PRISMA scoping guideline framework with searches conducted using Science Direct, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed studies of MBIs with nonattachment principles or practices, and outcome measures related to PTS. The final search was conducted in January 2024, with no date restrictions for eligible studies. Results: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria including 7 randomized controlled trials, 4 cohort studies, and 1 quasi-experimental, 1 cross-sectional, and 1 qualitative study. Individual study samples ranged from 9 to 209 participants (n = 913). All studies showed promising results for interventions integrating nonattachment applied to PTS populations, with the MBI outperforming control conditions in 6 of 7 RCTs, and all cohort studies showing significant improvements. Improvements included reductions in PTSD assessment scores, stress and anxiety, negative self-concept, disturbances in relationships, expressive suppression and rumination, and experiential avoidance, as well as increased acceptance and compassion. Various quality issues were identified such as a lack of or poorly defined randomization, blinding procedures, controls for confounding variables, and small sample sizes. MBIs integrating nonattachment that target physiological stabilization, coupled with participant input into intervention decisions, appear most promising. Conclusions: MBIs that incorporate nonattachment elements may offer meaningful support for individuals experiencing PTS, particularly by fostering more flexible and less self-fixated ways of relating to thoughts and emotions.

BackgroundUniversal mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have the potential to reach every adolescent and support their mental health. However, the effectiveness of MBIs may vary based on background characteristics, such as adolescent's family socioeconomic status (SES). We examined the moderating effect of SES on the effectiveness of a 9-week mindfulness intervention for adolescents.MethodsTotal of 2436 Finnish adolescents (aged 12-15) were randomized into mindfulness and relaxation groups. SES was assessed using adolescent's and parent's perceptions of the family's financial position, and the highest education of a parent (mother, father and combined). Effectiveness of the intervention was assessed with resilience (The Resilience scale [RS14]), depressive symptoms (The Beck Depression Inventory [RBDI]) and socio-emotional functioning (The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ]) at baseline (T0), at 9 weeks (T9) and 26 weeks follow-up (T26) and analyzed with linear mixed models.ResultsThe effectiveness of MBI was not moderated by any SES variables: no significant SES variable × group × time interactions were observed. The moderating effect of adolescent's perceptions of financial position of the family on RS14 (p = 0.48), RBDI (p = 0.85), and SDQ (p = 0.06) was not significant. The moderating effect of parent's perceptions of financial position of the family on RS14 (p = 0.63), RBDI (p = 0.40), and SDQ (p = 0.77) was not significant. The moderating effect of mother's highest education on RS14 (p = 0.68), RBDI (p = 0.92), and SDQ (p = 0.60) was not significant. The moderating effect of father's highest education on RS14 (p = 0.14), RBDI (p = 0.21), and SDQ (p = 0.56) was not significant. The moderating effect of parents combined highest education on RS14 (p = 0.51), RBDI (p = 0.77), and SDQ (p = 0.82) was not significant.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that SES does not moderate the outcomes of MBIs at least in a society with comparatively small income disparities (such as Finland).Key messages• It is important to further examine the moderating effect of SES on the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions for adolescents, particularly in countries with greater socioeconomic disparities.• Further research is needed to examine other potential moderating factors to understand better what influences the effectiveness of MBIs.