The Evidence Map of Mindfulness is a report from the Evidence-based Synthesis Program (ESP) Center at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, prepared in October 2014 for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. You can read the full report on the VA’s site.
The map gives an overview of how much research exists on “mindfulness” interventions and what that research focuses on. It summarizes the patient outcomes reported in systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), based on searches of 10 electronic databases through February 2014. Here is what the authors report:
- 81 systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria, and the largest included 109 mindfulness RCTs.
- Most of the research covers general health benefits or psychological wellbeing.
- Reviews on chronic illness, depression, substance use, somatization, distress and mental illness each included 10 or more RCTs.
- The reviews suggest that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and other mindfulness-based interventions may have different effects, and the definition of “mindfulness-based” varied from study to study.
- The most consistent effect reported was for depression. The authors found limited evidence for pain, anxiety and psychosis compared with passive control groups.
The authors describe the map as a broad overview, not detailed or definitive evidence of effectiveness. Mindfulness practice can complement professional care for medical or mental health conditions, and it does not replace it.
