Review finds mindfulness meditation may ease depressive symptoms

Research details

The review combined 26 randomized controlled trials involving 3,440 adults.

Mindfulness-meditation groups had lower depressive symptoms than comparison groups overall.

Programmes were delivered in person and online or through apps.

Some studies combined meditation with other treatments, so meditation’s separate effect is not always clear.

Participants generally knew whether they were meditating, an important limitation when interpreting the results.

Teaser

A review of 26 randomized trials found lower depressive symptoms among adults taking part in mindfulness-meditation programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic, while important limits mean the findings should be interpreted carefully.

Source Title

The effect of mindfulness meditation on depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Plain Summary

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in *Scientific Reports* examined whether mindfulness meditation was linked with fewer depressive symptoms in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers combined results from 26 randomized controlled trials involving 3,440 adults. Of these, 1,756 took part in a meditation programme and 1,684 were in comparison groups.

Overall, the meditation groups reported significantly lower depressive symptoms than the comparison groups. The difference was large enough that it was unlikely to be explained by chance alone in the studies taken together. In everyday terms, the findings suggest that mindfulness-meditation programmes may help reduce depression-related symptoms for some adults.

The programmes were delivered in different ways, including face-to-face sessions and online or app-based meditation. Some studies also included meditation alongside other treatments, so the review cannot always show how much of the observed difference came from meditation itself. The research focused specifically on mindfulness meditation; its results should not automatically be applied to every form of meditation.

Because these were randomized trials, participants were assigned to meditation or comparison conditions, which can provide stronger evidence than simply observing people’s usual habits. However, participants generally knew whether they were meditating, meaning they could not usually be fully “blinded.” Expectations, contact with a programme, or other aspects of taking part may therefore have influenced some results.

The review looked at research carried out during the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its findings are relevant to adults experiencing depression or depressive symptoms in that context, but they do not prove that meditation will work in the same way for everyone or in every situation. The results also do not establish that meditation replaces professional mental-health care or other helpful treatments.

Practical Takeaway

Taken together, this research suggests that mindfulness meditation may help lower depressive symptoms in some adults, including through online or app-based programmes. The evidence is encouraging but not a guarantee, and it mainly concerns mindfulness meditation studied during the COVID-19 period. Since some programmes included other treatments and participants usually knew which group they were in, the findings cannot show that meditation alone explains every improvement. Meditation may be considered one possible support, but the review does not show that it replaces professional mental-health care or works equally well for everyone.