Can mindfulness-based stress reduction relieve depressive symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is becoming more and more popular in treating depressive symptoms, but previous studies have come to different conclusions. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of MBSR in alleviating depressive symptoms. A systematic search was conducted across seven electronic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Meta-analytic methods were applied by using random-effect models. The quality was assessed with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Thirty-two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 37 independent effect sizes were eligible for the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that MBSR showed significant improvements on depressive symptoms compared to the control group, and the intervention effects were more significant for people with major depression disorder. However, neither cultural background nor sample origin had significant effects on the results of intervention. In addition, there was no publication bias in the meta-analysis, and the sensitivity analysis results indicated that the result was reliable. Findings suggests that MBSR can improve depressive symptoms, and future studies should consider the effects of different levels of depression to improve the intervention benefits of MBSR.