Systematic Review for the Medical Applications of Meditation in Randomized Controlled Trials.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to integrate the features of therapeutic meditation in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess its benefits for populations with diseases.
Results Summary
The study found that mindfulness-based, yoga-based, and transcendental meditation showed positive outcomes, particularly for sleep (73.9%) and fatigue (68.4%), among 10,139 participants with 45 kinds of disorders. The most frequently assessed symptoms included depressive mood, anxiety, quality of life, stress, sleep, pain, and fatigue.
Population
Participants with various diseases/disorders, most commonly cancer, musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases, and affective mood disorder.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based meditation | neutral | - | patient-participants | 51 RCTs | applied | #1 |
yoga-based meditation | neutral | - | patient-participants | 32 RCTs | applied | #2 |
transcendental meditation | neutral | - | patient-participants | 14 RCTs | applied | #3 |
therapeutic meditation | increase | sleep | patient-participants | 73.9% | showed a higher ratio of positive outcomes | #4 |
therapeutic meditation | increase | fatigue | patient-participants | 68.4% | showed a higher ratio of positive outcomes | #5 |
BACKGROUND: Meditation has been increasingly adapted for healthy populations and participants with diseases. Its beneficial effects are still challenging to determine due to the heterogeneity and methodological obstacles regarding medical applications. This study aimed to integrate the features of therapeutic meditation in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of RCTs with meditation for populations with diseases using the PubMed database through June 2021. We analyzed the characteristics of the diseases/disorders, participants, measurements, and their overall benefits. RESULTS: Among a total of 4855 references, 104 RCTs were determined and mainly applied mindfulness-based (51 RCTs), yoga-based (32 RCTs), and transcendental meditation (14 RCTs) to 10,139 patient-participants. These RCTs were conducted for participants with a total of 45 kinds of disorders; the most frequent being cancer, followed by musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases and affective mood disorder. Seven symptoms or signs were frequently assessed: depressive mood, feeling anxious, quality of life, stress, sleep, pain, and fatigue. The RCTs showed a higher ratio of positive outcomes for sleep (73.9%) and fatigue (68.4%). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review produced the comprehensive features of RCTs for therapeutic meditation. These results will help physicians and researchers further study clinical adaptations in the future as reference data.