In a new study, researchers found that mindfulness courses can reduce anxiety, depression and stress and increase mental wellbeing within most but not all non-clinical settings.
They also found that mindfulness may be no better than other practices aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of Cambridge.
Mindfulness is typically defined as ‘the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment’.
It has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way of increasing well-being and reducing stress levels.
In the UK, the National Health Service offers therapies based on mindfulness to help treat mental health issues such as depression and suicidal thoughts.
However, the majority of people who practice mindfulness learn their skills in community settings such as universities, workplaces, or private courses.
Mindfulness-based programs are frequently promoted as the go-to universal tool to reduce stress and increase wellbeing, accessible to anyone, anywhere.
In the study, the team did a systematic review to examine the health benefits of mindfulness.
These trials included 11,605 participants aged 18 to 73 years from 29 countries, more than three-quarters (77%) of whom were women.
The researchers found that in most community settings, compared with doing nothing, mindfulness reduces anxiety, depression, and stress, and increases wellbeing.
However, the data suggested that in more than one in 20 trials settings, mindfulness-based programs may not improve anxiety and depression.
The team says the courses that work best maybe those aimed at people who are most stressed or in stressful situations, for example, health workers, as they appear to see the biggest benefit.
When they repeated the analyses including only the higher-quality studies, mindfulness only showed effects on stress, not on wellbeing, depression or anxiety.
When compared against other ‘feel-good’ practices such as exercise, mindfulness fared neither better nor worse.
Although this review has not looked at online courses, studies suggest that these may be as effective as their offline counterparts, despite most lacking interactions with teachers and peers.
One author of the study is Dr. Julieta Galante from the Department of Psychiatry.
The study is published in PLOS Medicine.
Copyright © 2021 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
