Table 1.
The list of studies, corresponding research design, sample size, intervention, dependent variables, duration, population, and major findings
| Sl. No | Study | Research design | Sample size | Intervention | Dependent variables | Duration | Population | Major findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carson et al. [48] | Randomized wait-list controlled design | 44 (E = 22, C = 22) | Mindfulness-Based Relationship Enhancement | (i) Relationsi)hip Satisfaction, (ii)Autonomy, (iii)Relatedness, (iv)Closeness, (v)Acceptance of partner, (vi)Relationship distress, (vii)Optimism, (viii)Spirituality, (ix)Individual relaxation, (x) Psychological distress | Eight weekly sessions and a full-day retreat | Happy and non-distressed couples | MBI has beneficially affected all variables assessed, and maintained the effect at a three-month follow-up |
| 2 | de Vibe et al. [38] | Longitudinal for six years | 288(E = 144, C = 144) | Abridged Mindfulness-Based Stress Programme (MBSR) | (i) Dispositional mindfulness, (ii)Coping, (iii) Well-Being | Seven weeks (15 h) and booster sessions twice yearly | Medical and psychology students | At 6-year follow-up, participants reported better well-being, mindfulness, and problem-focused coping and decreased avoidance focused-coping, irrespective of low intervention adherence |
| 3 | Amutio et al. [37] | Longitudinal for one year with randomized controlled design (quasi-experiment) | 42 (E = 21, C = 21) | MBSR based on the psycho-educational model of Krasner et al. (2009) | (i) Mindfulness, (ii)Relaxation states, (iii)Heart rate | Eight weeks | Physicians | MBSR has improved mindfulness and relaxation states (including positive emotional states, such as at ease/peace, renewal, energy, optimism, happiness, acceptance, and transcendence) and decreased heart rate. At one-year follow-up effect size improved again |
| 4 | Bhayee et al. [46] | Randomized active controlled trial | 26 (E = 13, C = 13) | Neurofeedback assisted, technology-supported mindfulness training (NtsMT) | (i) Attention, (ii) Well-being | Six weeks, 10 min of daily practice | Healthy, community-dwelling adults | NtsMT moderately improved attention and well-being |
| 5 | Flook et al. [32] | Randomized controlled design | 68 (E = 30, C = 38) | Mindfulness-based Kindness curriculum | (i) Social competence, (ii)Sharing, (iii) Delay of gratification, (iv) Cognitive flexibility, (v) Inhibitory control, (vi) Academic performance | 12 weeks; 20–30 min sessions twice a week | Pre-school children | Improved social competence, academic performance, delay of gratification, and cognitive flexibility |
| 6 | Rasanen et al. [39] | Randomized waitlist controlled design | 68 (E = 33, C = 35) | Guided seven-week online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (iACT) | (i) Well-being, (ii) Life satisfaction, (iii) Self-esteem, (iv) Mindfulness, (v) Stress, (vi) Depression, (vii) Anxiety, (viii)Psychological flexibility, (ix) Sense of coherence | Seven weeks: Two face-to-face meetings and five-weeks iACT | Distressed university students | Well-being, life satisfaction, and mindfulness increased; stress and depression decreased. Benefits were maintained at follow-up after 12 months |
| 7 | Fredrickson et al. [53] | Field experiment | 139 (E = 67, C = 72) | Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) | (i) Mindfulness, (ii) Trait hope, (iii) Savoring beliefs, (iv) Optimism, (v) Ego resilience, (vi) Psychological well-being, (vii) Dyadic adjustment, (viii) Positive relations,, (ix) Illness symptoms, (x) Sleep quality, (xi)Satisfaction with life, (xii) Depression, (xiii)Differential emotions, (xiv) Time varying emotion experiences | Seven weeks: six 60 min group sessions, asked to practice at home, at least 5 days per week, with the guided recordings | Working adults | LKM enhanced experience of positive emotions which benefittedpersonal resources including mindfulness, purpose in life, social support, and illness symptoms. Changes in personal resources predicted improved life satisfaction and reduced depression |
| 8 | Yela et al. [52] | Quasi-experimental pre-post design | 61 (high adherence = 30, low adherence = 31) | Mindful Self-Compassion | (i) Self Compassion, (ii) Mindfulness, (iii) Well-being, (iv) Anxiety, (iv) Depression | Eight weeks: 2.5 h session once a week | Masters students in clinical and health psychology | High adherence group reported better self-compassion, mindfulness, and well-being |
| 9 | Pogrebtsova et al. [56] | daily diary randomized controlled trial | 106 (E = 36, C = 36, standard of care C = 34 | Combined mindful re-appraisal intervention | (i) Positive and negative experiences, (ii) Positive re-appraisal, (iii) Decentering, (iv) Curiosity, (v) Optimism | Five-day | Undergraduate university students | Experimental group reported reduced negative affect and marginally higher positive affect |
| 10 | Smith et al. [59] | Longitudinal quasi experimental design for 2.5-years (two year course and six months follow up) | 31 (E = 17, C = 14) | Dharma in Daily Life (DIDL) 30 min per day, six days per week | (I) Quality of life, (ii) Subjective well-being, (iii) Wellbeing, (iv) Valuing, (v) Psychological flexibility, (vi) Mindfulness, (vii) Cognitive fusion | 30 min per day, six days a week, for the two year course period and a six month follow-up period | Adults from meditation groups | DIDL improved subjective well-being and mindfulness. Despite the intervention condition, frequency of meditation predicted psychological flexibility, mindfulness, well-being, and valuing |
| 11 | Sorensen et al. [54] | Active controlled trial (3 × 3 mixed design) | 78 (Convergence = 28, LKM = 26, Music = 24) | Convergence' or LKM or Music for three 2-h group sessions | (1) Mindfulness (2) Self Compassion (3)Fears of Compassion (4) Stress and Anxiety (5) Mental well-being | Three weeks, once weekly | Adults from the general population | All three conditions produced equal benefits on all outcome measures with small effect sizes. No greater impact of Convergence found. Amount of home practice positively correlated with mindfulness and self-compassion at four-week follow-up |
| 12 | Devcich et al. [40] | Active controlled pilot study | 91 (Mindfulness = 45, Emotional literacy = 46) | Pause, breathe, smile or emotional literacy program | (1) Well-being -hedonia and eudaimonia (2)Mindfulness | One hour weekly sessions for eight weeks | School children | Both conditions improved well-being and only experimental group reported higher mindfulness, post-intervention |
| 13 | Ivtzan et al. [58] | Randomized wait-list controlled trial | 168 (E = 53, C = 115) | Online Positive Mindfulness Program (PMP) | (1) Eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, (2)Stress, (3)Depression, (4)Mindfulness, (5)Gratitude, (6) Self-compassion, (7) PWB Autonomy, (8) Self efficacy, (9) Meaning in life, (10) Compassion for others, (11)Appreciation for the present moment | Eight-week—12 min audio for daily meditation and 8–10 min video once a week | Citizens from 20 counties, recruited through online forums and social networks | PMP beneficially affected all dependent variables and sustained the effect for 10 out of 11 variables at a one-month follow-up |
| 14 | Huppert & Johnson [41] | non-randomized controlled trial | 134 (E = 78, C = 56) | Four mindfulness classes | (i) Mindfulness, (ii) Resilience, (iii )Well-being, (iv) Big 5 personality | four 40-min sessions, once a week | 14 and 15 year old boys | No between-group difference found. Experimental group reported mindfulness and well-being positively correlated with duration of practice |
| 15 | Coatsworth et al. [49] | Randomized controlled comparative effectiveness study design | 432 families (E = 154, AC = 160, C = 118) | Mindfulness-Enhanced Strengthening Families Program( | (i) Interpersonal mindfulness in parenting, (ii) Parent-Youth Relationship, (iii) Youth behavior management, (iv) Parent well-being | Once per week for seven weeks | Families of 6th and 7th grade students of four consecutive years | MSFP and a control condition SFP 10–14 showed similar effects on dependent variables. MSFP improved and sustained the effect of SFP on some areas, especially the experience of fathers |
| 16 | Vich et al. [57] | Randomized controlled trial | 128 (E = 75, C = 42) | Relational Mindfulness Training (RMT) | (i) self compassion, (ii) compassion, (iii) stress, (iv) mindfulness, (v) happiness | Eight week—two hour sessions per week and one six hour session in a weekend | Management students | RMT showed long-term impact on self-compassion, stress, and mindfulness; and short-term impact on compassion and subjective happiness |
| 17 | Champion et al. [47] | Pilot randomized controlled trial | 62 (E = 29, C = 33) | Headspace app introductory program—Foundation 1 to 3; 30 sessions | (i) Life satisfaction, (ii) Stress, (iii) Resilience, (iv) Social impairment, (v) Depression, (vi) Hypochondriasis, (vii) Anxiety, (viii) Enjoyment & experience | 30 sessions with minimum 10 min per session. Option to choose up to 15 to 20 min during level 2 and 3, respectively | Management and economics students | Improved life satisfaction, stress, and resilience. Highest increased on day-10 that dropped moderately by day-30 |
| 18 | Nyklicek & Kuijpers [28] | Randomized wait-list controlled trial | 57 | MBSR | (i) Stress, (ii) Vital exhaustion, (iii) Positive affect, (iv) Negative affect, (v) Quality of life, (vi) Mindfulness, (vii) Mindfulness in daily life | Eight weeks—eight weekly sessions of 150 min; and from sixth week an additional six hour session; minimum 40 min of daily practice | Distressed adults | Reduced stress and vital exhaustion, and improved positive affect, quality of life, and mindfulness. Mindfulness, at least partially mediate the impact of MBSR on variables, especially stress, and quality of life |
| 19 | Rodriguez-Carvajal etl al. [55] | Non-randomized controlled trial | 73 (E = 36, C = 37) | Mindfulness Integrative Model (MIM) | (i) Mindfulness, (ii) Self-compassion, (iii) Positive states of mind | Three weeks—19 sessions | Adults from non-clinical general population | Significant difference in experimental group with large effect size |
| 20 | Kappen et al. [50] | Randomized controlled trial | 113 (E = 56, C-57) | Online mindfulness program | (i)Relationship satisfaction, (ii) Partner acceptance, (iii) Trait mindfulness | 12 day | Adults in a romantic relationship for at least one year recruited through social networking sites | Relationship satisfaction and partner acceptance increased for both groups. Mindfulness significantly improved for low baseline-scorers of experimental condition alone |
| 21 | Neff & Germer [51] | Pilot | 21 | MSC | (i)Self compassion, (ii) Mindfulness, (iii) Connectedness, (iv) Happiness, (v) Life satisfaction, (vi) Depression, (vii) Anxiety, (viii) Stress | Eight weekly sessions and one 2-h session per week | General population recruited through online media | Improved self-compassion, mindfulness, and well-being outcomes |
| 22 | Neff & Germer [51] | Randomized controlled trial | 52 (E = 25, C = 27) | MSC | (i) Self compassion, (ii) Mindfulness, (iii)Connectedness, (iv)Happiness, (v) Life satisfaction, (vi) Depression, (vii) Anxiety, (viii) Stress, (ix) Compassion for others, (x) Avoidance | Eight weekly sessions and one 2-h session per week | General population recruited through online media | Experimental group reported higher self-compassion, mindfulness, and well-being outcomes, that were maintained at 6-th and one-year follow-ups |
E = Experimental group
C = Control group
AC = Active control group