Table 3.
Summary of the RCTs for participants with mental disorders.
| Disorder [Reference] | Kind of Meditation (Category *) | N. of Participants # (N. of Arms, Controls) | Period (Weeks) | Clinical Finding (Statistical) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Significant | Not Significant | ||||
| Mood disorder | |||||
| Affective disorder [89] | MBCT (M) | 104 (3, focused attention, open monitoring) | 8 | - | depressive mood A, feeling anxious A, stress A |
| Depression [12] | Sahaj Samadhi (Y) | 83 (2, usual care) | 12 | depressive mood, feeling anxious, global impression, | QoL, HRV A, physical activity, side effects |
| Depression [90] | Laughter yoga (Y) | 50 (2, usual care) | 4 | depressive mood, QoL | feeling anxious, stress |
| Depression [91] | Yoga-based lifestyle (Y) | 178 (2, medication) | 12 | depressive mood A | - |
| Depression [92] | Yoga-based lifestyle (Y) | 58 (2, no treatment) | 12 | depressive mood A, blood markers A | - |
| Depression [93] | Yoga (Y) | 26 (2, no treatment) | 12 | depressive mood, HRV | stress, heart rate |
| Depression [94] | MM (M) | 74 (2, psychoeducation + regular rest) | 2 | depressive mood A, mindfulness | - |
| Depression [95] | MBCT (M) | 29 (2, usual care) | 8 | interoceptive awareness | depressive mood, pain |
| Depression [96] | MBCT (M) | 43 (2, psychoeducation) | 26 | depressive mood, mindfulness, general mental health | feeling anxious |
| Depression [97] | MBCT (M) | 254 (3, CPE, usual care) | 8 | - | depressive mood A |
| Depression [98] | MBCT (M) | 24 (2, no treatment) | 8 | sleep | depressive mood |
| Depression [99] | MBCT (M) | 77 (2, waitlist) | 8 | depressive mood, rumination, mindfulness, positive thinking, negative thinking | |
| Depression [100] | MBCT (M) | 21 (2, waitlist) | 8 | sleep | depressive mood |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | |||||
| PTSD [101] | CBCT (other) | 28 (2, Veteran. Calm) | 10 | PTSD symptoms A | alcohol use |
| PTSD [102] | Mantra (Y + T) | 173 (2, present-centered therapy) | 8 | sleep, PTSD symptoms A | QoL, general health, anger, well-being, mindfulness |
| PTSD [13] | TM (T) | 202 (3, prolonged exposure, education) | 12 | QoL, PTSD symptoms A, general health, mood | |
| PTSD [103] | MM (M) | 102 (4, MM + slow breathing, slow breathing, sitting quietly) | 6 | depressive mood, stress, sleep, PTSD symptoms A, global impression, adherence, respiration rate | affect, mindfulness, credibility, EEG, ECG, HRV |
| Trauma with co-occurring disorder [104] | Tibetan meditation (other) | 58 (2, usual care) | 6 | stress A, trauma symptoms | - |
| PTSD [105] | Yoga (Y) | 21 (2, waitlist) | 1 | feeling anxious, PTSD symptoms, arousal, respiration rate | depressive mood |
| PTSD [106] | Meditation-relaxation (other) | 31 (2, exposure therapy) | 4 | - | PTSD symptoms A, functional impairment, physical symptoms |
| Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | |||||
| ADHD + ODD [107] | MBSR (M) | 50 (2, waitlist) | 9 | ADHD symptoms | - |
| ADHD [108] | MBCT (M) | 120 (2, usual care) | 8 | ADHD symptoms A, mindfulness, compassion, mental health | executive functions |
| ADHD [109] | Mindful awareness practice (M) | 81 (2, psychoeducation) | 8 | mindfulness | depressive mood, QoL, ADHD symptoms A |
| Anxiety | |||||
| Anxiety disorder [110] | Mindful exercise + psychoeducation (M) | 91 (2, discussion forum) | 8 | depressive mood, feeling anxious A, QoL, sleep | - |
| Anxiety disorder [111] | MBSR (M) | 56 (2, exercise) | 8 | - | feeling anxious A |
| Social anxiety disorder [112] | MBSR (M) | 53 (2, CBT) | 8 | - | depressive mood, feeling anxious A, QoL, global impression A, social interaction A, social phobia A, interpersonal sensitivity |
| Sleep disorder | |||||
| Sleep disturbance [113] | Mobile app Calm (M) | 263 (2, waitlist) | 8 | sleep, fatigue A | - |
| Sleep disturbance [114] | Mindful awareness practice (M) | 49 (2, education) | 6 | depressive mood, sleep A, fatigue | feeling anxious, stress |
| Insomnia [115] | MBSR, MBTI (M) | 54 (3, self-monitoring) | 8 | sleep | - |
| Substance misuse disorder | |||||
| Alcohol dependence [116] | MBRP (M) | 112 (2, usual care) | 8 | - | stress, alcohol use A, mindfulness |
| Alcohol and other drug use disorder [117] | MBRP (M) | 168 (2, usual care) | 8 | - | alcohol or drug use, distress tolerance, mindfulness |
* The interventions were categorized into four groups (M: mindfulness-based; Y: yoga-based; T: transcendental; and other meditation). # This was in accordance with demographic feature of original article. A This is the primary outcome measurement of each RCT. ADHD: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; CBCT: cognitively-based compassion training; CBT: cognitive behavior therapy; ECG: electrocardiography; EEG: electroencephalography; HRV: heart rate variability; MBCT: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy; MBSR: mindfulness-based stress reduction; MBRP: mindfulness-based relapse prevention; MBTI: mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia; MM: mindfulness meditation; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; ODD: oppositional defiant disorder; PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder; QoL: quality of life; TM: transcendental meditation.