Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2013 Aug;33(6):763-71.
doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2013.05.005. Epub 2013 Jun 7.

Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis

Bassam Khoury  1 , Tania Lecomte, Guillaume Fortin, Marjolaine Masse, Phillip Therien, Vanessa Bouchard, Marie-Andrée Chapleau, Karine Paquin, Stefan G Hofmann
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis

Bassam Khoury et al. Clin Psychol Rev. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) has become a popular form of intervention. However, the existing reviews report inconsistent findings.

Objective: To clarify these inconsistencies in the literature, we conducted a comprehensive effect-size analysis to evaluate the efficacy of MBT.

Data sources: A systematic review of studies published in journals or in dissertations in PubMED or PsycINFO from the first available date until May 10, 2013.

Review methods: A total of 209 studies (n=12,145) were included.

Results: Effect-size estimates suggested that MBT is moderately effective in pre-post comparisons (n=72; Hedge's g=.55), in comparisons with waitlist controls (n=67; Hedge's g=.53), and when compared with other active treatments (n=68; Hedge's g=.33), including other psychological treatments (n=35; Hedge's g=.22). MBT did not differ from traditional CBT or behavioral therapies (n=9; Hedge's g=-.07) or pharmacological treatments (n=3; Hedge's g=.13).

Conclusion: MBT is an effective treatment for a variety of psychological problems, and is especially effective for reducing anxiety, depression, and stress.

Keywords: Meditation; Meta-analysis; Mindfulness; Treatment outcome.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types