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Evidence suggests Meditation maydecreaseAnxiety.
72 studies (88 claims)
Strong consensus
Study Claims
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Type | Population | Dosage | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mindfulness practices such as meditation | Decreases - led to significant reductions | anxiety | Human | university students, aged 18-25 without severe MH conditions | Not specified | Effectiveness of physical activity, mindfulness and mind-body therapies in improving mental health of university students: a systematic review of RCTS.cited 1× |
| guided meditation | Decreases - can significantly reduce | pain and anxiety during percutaneous biopsy | Human | — | Not specified | A brief mind-body intervention to reduce pain and anxiety during prostate needle biopsy: a clinically integrated randomized controlled trial with 2-staged consent.cited 5× |
| transcendental meditation | Decreases - suggestive of a possible value for treating | symptomatic anxiety | Human | youth | Not specified | Meditation and mindfulness in clinical practice.cited 51× |
| yoga meditation | Decreases - suggestive of a possible value for treating | symptomatic anxiety | Human | youth | Not specified | Meditation and mindfulness in clinical practice.cited 51× |
| mindfulness and compassion-oriented meditation training | Decreases - significant improvements were found | anxiety | Human | interdisciplinary palliative care team staff members | Not specified (10-week training program). | Mindfulness and compassion-oriented practices at work reduce distress and enhance self-care of palliative care teams: a mixed-method evaluation of an "on the job" program.cited 69× |
| breathing-based Integrative Meditation and Ear Acupressure (IMEA) | Decreases - significantly greater reduction | anxiety | Human | cocaine-dependent patients | Not specified | Adding integrative meditation with ear acupressure to outpatient treatment of cocaine addiction: a randomized controlled pilot study.cited 10× |
| mindfulness meditation practice | Decreases - mindfulness meditation practice was associated with improvements | depression and anxiety symptoms | Human | those diagnosed with bipolar disorder | 3 days a week or more of mindfulness meditation. | The association between meditation practice and treatment outcome in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for bipolar disorder.cited 43× |
| mindfulness meditation practice | Decreases - significant differences found between those who meditated for 3 days a week or more and those who meditated less often | trait anxiety | Human | those diagnosed with bipolar disorder | 3 days a week or more of mindfulness meditation. | The association between meditation practice and treatment outcome in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for bipolar disorder.cited 43× |
| mindfulness-based interventions with a meditation component | Decreases - appear to be promising in reducing | symptoms of anxiety | Human | older adults | Not specified. | The effectiveness of mindfulness-based meditation treatments for late life anxiety: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.cited 4× |
| mindfulness-based meditation interventions | Decreases - a reduction in | symptoms of anxiety | Human | participants | Not specified. | The effectiveness of mindfulness-based meditation treatments for late life anxiety: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.cited 4× |
| a single, short bout of meditation | Decreases - improve | anxiety states | Human | young adults | 10-minute walking bout | Differential Experimental Effects of a Short Bout of Walking, Meditation, or Combination of Walking and Meditation on State Anxiety Among Young Adults.cited 11× |
| meditation then walk | Decreases - significantly decreased | state anxiety | Human | Participants (N = 110, mean age = 21.4 years) | 10-minute walking bout | Differential Experimental Effects of a Short Bout of Walking, Meditation, or Combination of Walking and Meditation on State Anxiety Among Young Adults.cited 11× |
| Meditation | Decreases - may be a preferred method of attenuating | anxiety symptomology | Human | — | 10-minute walking bout | Differential Experimental Effects of a Short Bout of Walking, Meditation, or Combination of Walking and Meditation on State Anxiety Among Young Adults.cited 11× |
| meditation | Decreases - significantly decreased | state anxiety | Human | Participants (N = 110, mean age = 21.4 years) | 10-minute walking bout | Differential Experimental Effects of a Short Bout of Walking, Meditation, or Combination of Walking and Meditation on State Anxiety Among Young Adults.cited 11× |
| a brief meditation session before or after exercising | Decreases - achieve additional anxiolytic benefits | anxiety symptomology | Human | Individuals desiring the health benefits associated with aerobic exercise | 10-minute walking bout | Differential Experimental Effects of a Short Bout of Walking, Meditation, or Combination of Walking and Meditation on State Anxiety Among Young Adults.cited 11× |
| walk then meditation | Decreases - significantly decreased | state anxiety | Human | Participants (N = 110, mean age = 21.4 years) | 10-minute walking bout | Differential Experimental Effects of a Short Bout of Walking, Meditation, or Combination of Walking and Meditation on State Anxiety Among Young Adults.cited 11× |
| guided, mindfulness, and loving-kindness meditation | Decreases - may be helpful in reducing | anxiety | Human | patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer during the postoperative period | Not specified | Meditation for the reduction of perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing oncology surgery: A scoping review. |
| meditation | Decreases - may be helpful in reducing | anxiety | Human | patients undergoing oncology surgery | Not specified | Meditation for the reduction of perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing oncology surgery: A scoping review. |
| meditation training in the form of mindfulness-based interventions | Increases - experimentally validated with moderate to large effects | alternative treatments for a variety of mental health problems, including depression, addictions, and anxiety disorders | Human | — | Not specified | Mindfulness meditation and psychedelics: potential synergies and commonalities.cited 12× |
| Yoga meditation | Decreases - significantly reduced | anxiety | Human | female college students | Not specified | From contemplation to serenity: how yoga meditation improves the mental health of female college students? |
| designed meditation module | Decreases - decrease in | anxiety | Human | primary hypertensive patients (PHP) | 5 days a week | Designing a meditation module to affect etiological and preventive factors in primary hypertensive patients-A pilot study.cited 1× |
| BCI-based app-delivered mindfulness meditation | Decreases - resulted in a significantly lower mean State Anxiety Inventory | State Anxiety Inventory score | Human | patients with AF scheduled for RFCA | Not specified (app-based intervention administered by a research nurse). | Effectiveness of a Mindfulness Meditation App Based on an Electroencephalography-Based Brain-Computer Interface in Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 6× |
| mindfulness meditation program (mindfulness-based stress reduction [MBSR]) | Decreases - significant medium to large size effects | general anxiety | Human | patients with nonspecific chronic pain | Not specified | Effects of mindfulness meditation on chronic pain: a randomized controlled trial.cited 81× |
| mindfulness therapy, meditation and yoga | Decreases - reduce and/or manage | psychological effects of stress and anxiety | Human | — | Not specified | The benefits of yoga in children.cited 22× |
| meditation-based therapy | Decreases - had lower anxiety scores | anxiety scores | Human | individuals with chronic neuropathy of various etiologies | Not specified | Meditation-Based Therapies for Chronic Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. |
| meditation-based therapy | Decreases - had significantly lower anxiety scores | anxiety scores | Human | individuals with chronic neuropathy of various etiologies | Not specified | Meditation-Based Therapies for Chronic Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. |
| meditation practice | Decreases - can be treated effectively | anxiety | Human | — | Not specified (minimum duration of practice mentioned). | Meditation for Anxiety: A Holistic Approach to Treatment. |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - can be treated effectively | anxiety | Human | patients struggling with anxiety | Not specified (minimum duration of practice mentioned). | Meditation for Anxiety: A Holistic Approach to Treatment. |
| meditation practice | Decreases - demonstrates more conclusive evidence in regard to the reduction | stress and anxiety | Human | college students | Not specified | The integration of meditation into higher education: a systematic literature review. |
| a meditation app | Decreases - partially mediated effects on | anxiety | Human | adults with sleep disturbance | Not specified | A mindfulness meditation mobile app improves depression and anxiety in adults with sleep disturbance: Analysis from a randomized controlled trial.cited 25× |
| a meditation app | Decreases - had more improvement in | anxiety symptoms | Human | adults with sleep disturbance | Not specified | A mindfulness meditation mobile app improves depression and anxiety in adults with sleep disturbance: Analysis from a randomized controlled trial.cited 25× |
| yogic relaxation, pranayama, and meditation | Decreases - reduction | anxiety | Human | GBS patients | 15 sessions over 3 weeks (1 hour/session, 5 days/week). | "Effect of pranayama and meditation as an add-on therapy in rehabilitation of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome--a randomized control pilot study".cited 22× |
| short-term mindfulness meditation training | Decreases - relieve | anxiety and tension | Human | patients with gastrointestinal tumors | Daily mindfulness meditation practice from the second day of admission until the fifth day after surgery (excluding the day of surgery). | Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Stress and Hospital Stay in Gastrointestinal Tumor Patients During Perioperative Period. |
| brief mindfulness meditation intervention | No effect - no statistically significant effect | anxiety scores | Human | patients on hemodialysis with depression and anxiety symptoms | Not specified | Brief Mindfulness Meditation for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Pilot Feasibility Study.cited 39× |
| mindfulness meditation | No effect - did not reveal significant effects | depression and anxiety scores | Human | patients on hemodialysis with anxiety and depression symptoms | Not specified | Brief Mindfulness Meditation for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Pilot Feasibility Study.cited 39× |
| meditation strategies | Decreases - produced an effect | anxiety | Human | students | Not specified | Use of Meditation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for the Treatment of Stress, Depression and Anxiety in Students. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.cited 53× |
| ALS-specific meditation programme | Decreases - significant differences between groups over time | anxiety | Human | adults who received a diagnosis of ALS within 18 months | 8-week meditation training based on mindfulness-based stress reduction, tailored for ALS. | Meditation training for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial.cited 40× |
| virtual 6-week Standardized Yoga and Meditation Program for Stress Reduction (SYMPro-SR) program | Decreases - significantly decreased | SCARED anxiety subscale scores | Human | Youth aged 12-21 years with IBS | Not specified (6-week virtual program). | Standardized Yoga and Meditation Program for Stress Reduction (SYMPro-SR) for Adolescents with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. |
| virtual 6-week Standardized Yoga and Meditation Program for Stress Reduction (SYMPro-SR) program | Increases - trend for improved outcomes | SCARED separation anxiety subscale scores | Human | Youth aged 12-21 years with IBS | Not specified (6-week virtual program). | Standardized Yoga and Meditation Program for Stress Reduction (SYMPro-SR) for Adolescents with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. |
| short-term mindfulness meditation program | Decreases - most likely to benefit from | anxiety | Human | individuals with moderate anxiety | 30 minutes daily | A randomized controlled trial of the effects of brief mindfulness meditation on anxiety symptoms and systolic blood pressure in Chinese nursing students.cited 90× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - differences between pre- and post-treatment scores were significantly larger | Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores | Human | meditation group | 30 minutes daily | A randomized controlled trial of the effects of brief mindfulness meditation on anxiety symptoms and systolic blood pressure in Chinese nursing students.cited 90× |
| brief mindfulness meditation | Decreases - beneficial for | anxiety symptoms | Human | Chinese nursing students | 30 minutes daily | A randomized controlled trial of the effects of brief mindfulness meditation on anxiety symptoms and systolic blood pressure in Chinese nursing students.cited 90× |
| mindfulness and meditation based interventions | No effect | anxiety and stress | Human | — | Not specified | Living through the psychological consequences of COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review of effective mitigating interventions.cited 11× |
| daily use of a meditation app for 30 days | No effect - comparing pre-intervention survey responses to post-intervention survey responses | anxiety as assessed by survey questions adapted from the GAD7 | Human | Participants | 10 minutes daily via the Insight Timer app. | Effectiveness of using a meditation app in reducing anxiety and improving well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.cited 10× |
| meditation | Decreases - reductions | anxiety | Human | healthcare workers | Not specified | Workplace interventions to improve well-being and reduce burnout for nurses, physicians and allied healthcare professionals: a systematic review.cited 105× |
| meditation | Decreases - favouring | anxiety | Human | participants suffering from anxiety disorders or high trait anxiety | Not specified | Meditation techniquescited 22× |
| meditation | Decreases - more effective than relaxation | anxiety | Human | participants suffering from anxiety disorders or high trait anxiety | Not specified | Meditation techniquescited 22× |
| meditation | Decreases - might also remain more effective | anxiety | Human | — | Not specified | Meditation techniquescited 22× |
| meditation | No effect - investigate the effects | anxiety and depression | Human | PD patients | 90-minute weekly sessions of meditation or yoga for 8 weeks. | A randomized controlled trial on the effects and acceptability of individual mindfulness techniques - meditation and yoga - on anxiety and depression in people with Parkinson's disease: a study protocol.cited 3× |
| Meditation | Decreases - recommended for routine use | anxiety and mood disorders | Human | breast cancer patients | Not specified | Clinical practice guidelines on the use of integrative therapies as supportive care in patients treated for breast cancer. |
| Meditation | Decreases - recommended for routine use | anxiety and mood disorders | Human | breast cancer patients | Not specified | Clinical practice guidelines on the use of integrative therapies as supportive care in patients treated for breast cancer. |
| meditation | No effect - practiced | anxiety disorders | Human | individuals with anxiety disorders in India | Not specified | Cultural aspects of anxiety disorders in India.cited 12× |
| Meditation | Decreases - reduce | stress and anxiety | Human | expectant mothers | Not specified | The wonders of mind-body practices during pregnancy: A topical review. |
| meditation retreats | Decreases - reduce | anxiety | Human | — | Not specified. | Residential Meditation Retreats: A Promise of Sustainable Well-Being? |
| mindfulness practices including meditation | Decreases - reduce | anxiety | Human | during pregnancy | Not specified. | Meditation and Mindfulness in Pregnancy and Postpartum: A Review of the Evidence.cited 20× |
| Mindfulness Meditation training | Decreases - demonstrated noticeable improvement | anxiety | Human | Chronic pain patients who suffer with anxiety and depression | Three days a week for an hour of Mindfulness Meditation training, plus an hour daily home practice. | Observing the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Meditation on Anxiety and Depression in Chronic Pain Patients.cited 13× |
| mindfulness meditation training | Decreases - improved their scores on | symptoms of anxiety | Human | female meditators | Not specified | Effects of mindfulness training on body awareness to sexual stimuli: implications for female sexual dysfunction.cited 76× |
| loving-kindness meditation | Decreases - may be effective in treating | anxiety disorders | Human | — | Not specified | Compassion and Loving-Kindness Meditation: An Overview and Prospects for the Application in Clinical Samples.cited 30× |
| relatively brief interventions designed to reduce stress; most commonly using mindfulness-based or guided meditation approaches | No effect - limited evidence of an effect | depression, anxiety and stress | Human | medical students | Not specified | Effectiveness of universal programmes for the prevention of suicidal ideation, behaviour and mental ill health in medical students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.cited 26× |
| consumer-based mobile meditation application (app) | Decreases - were significantly less | self-reported anxiety | Human | outpatient obstetric and gynecology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic | Not specified (prescribed mobile meditation app for 30 days). | Mindfulness Effects in Obstetric and Gynecology Patients During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 25× |
| consumer-based mobile meditation application (app) | Decreases - were significantly less | self-reported anxiety | Human | outpatient obstetric and gynecology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic | Not specified (prescribed mobile meditation app for 30 days). | Mindfulness Effects in Obstetric and Gynecology Patients During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 25× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - can relieve | anxiety | Human | cancer patients | Not specified | Integrative Medicine Therapies for Pain Management in Cancer Patients.cited 82× |
| mindfulness meditation | No effect - no statistically significant between-group differences | anxiety | Human | adolescents | Not specified | A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Working Memory Capacity in Adolescents.cited 68× |
| Mindfulness meditation | Decreases - a trend towards benefit | anxiety | Human | chronic pain | Not specified | Does mindfulness meditation improve chronic pain? A systematic review.cited 60× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - reviewed efficacious applications | anxiety | Human | — | Not specified | Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology.cited 169× |
| Mindfulness Meditation (MM) | No effect - explore the effectiveness | anxiety | Human | Veterans with chronic pain | Not specified | The chronic pain skills study: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial comparing hypnosis, mindfulness meditation and pain education in Veterans.cited 18× |
| Mindfulness meditation (MM) | Decreases - led to significantly less | anxiety | Human | Total joint arthroplasty patients | Single 15-minute group session. | Brief preoperative mind-body therapies for total joint arthroplasty patients: a randomized controlled trial.cited 40× |
| mindfulness meditation (MM) | Decreases - reducing | anxiety and depression | Human | cancer patients | Not specified | Development of an eHealth Mindfulness-Based Music Therapy Intervention for Adults Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Qualitative Study. |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - decreased | anxiety levels | Human | — | Not specified | Stress and Anxiety Management in Nursing Students: Biofeedback and Mindfulness Meditation.cited 65× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - had lower | anxiety scores | Human | patients with stroke with concurrent coronary heart disease | Mindfulness meditation (specific dosage not detailed). | Efficacy of Mindfulness Meditation on Patients With Stroke With Concurrent Coronary Heart Disease: A Randomised Controlled Trial. |
| mindfulness meditation (MM) | Decreases - reduced | anxiety symptoms | Human | participants | Daily mindfulness meditation exercises (specific duration/frequency not detailed). | Physical activity, mindfulness meditation, or heart rate variability biofeedback for stress reduction: a randomized controlled trial.cited 118× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - Statistically significant improvement was seen | Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale | Human | patients | Five sessions (frequency not specified). | A randomised controlled study of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation therapy in the management of tinnitus.cited 27× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - decreased but not significantly | state anxiety | Human | nursing students | Not specified | Mindfulness Meditation and Anxiety in Nursing Students.cited 13× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - A statistically significant reduction | trait anxiety | Human | nursing students | Not specified | Mindfulness Meditation and Anxiety in Nursing Students.cited 13× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - may show promise | symptoms of anxiety | Human | people with aphasia post-stroke | Not specified | A systematic review of non-drug interventions to prevent and treat anxiety in people with aphasia after stroke.cited 13× |
| online mindfulness meditation intervention | Decreases - reported lower | anxiety | Human | experimental subjects | Not specified | Online meditation training for people with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial.cited 46× |
| online mindfulness meditation intervention | Decreases - statistically significant decrease | reported scores for anxiety | Human | nursing students | Not specified | Using Meditation to Reduce Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Nursing Students.cited 6× |
| neuro-meditation | Increases - improves | symptoms of depression and anxiety | Human | long COVID patients | Ten 30-minute sessions over five weeks. | Positive Impacts of a Four-Week Neuro-Meditation Program on Cognitive Function in Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 29× |
| Mobile mindfulness meditation (MMM) | Decreases - more effective than the control groups in alleviating | anxiety | Human | university students | Not specified | Effects of Mobile Mindfulness Meditation on the Mental Health of University Students: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.cited 14× |
| mindfulness meditation app | Decreases - significant effect sizes were found | anxiety | Human | — | Not specified | The efficacy of mindfulness meditation apps in enhancing users' well-being and mental health related outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.cited 123× |
| meditation-based mind-body interventions (MBIs) (Mindfulness, Tai Chi, Yoga, and Qigong) | Decreases - significant improvement | anxiety | Human | older adults with poor sleep quality | Not specified | The Effect of Meditation-Based Mind-Body Interventions on Older Adults with Poor Sleep Quality: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. |
| Immersive Virtual Reality Meditation (IVRM) | Decreases - associated with a reduction | depression and anxiety | Human | patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) | Three times a week. | The impact of immersive virtual reality meditation for depression and anxiety among inpatients with major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders.cited 2× |
| meditation and relaxation therapy [MRT] | Decreases - significantly less rate | anxiety | Human | OSCC patients [stage II or III] scheduled for oral and maxillofacial surgery | 30 minutes of MRT (Sukhasana, Anulom Vilom, Omkar chanting, Shavasana) twice daily. | Effect of meditation and relaxation therapy on preoperative anxiety and stress in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients scheduled for oral and maxillofacial surgery: An experimental study. |
| meditation interventions | Decreases - positive but not statistically significant | anxiety | Human | adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Not specified | Meditation for posttraumatic stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis.cited 65× |
| meditation interventions | Decreases - have shown therapeutic efficacy | anxiety | Human | clinical populations | Not specified | ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide Consortium for Neuroscientific Investigations of Meditation Practices.cited 2× |
| meditation programs | Decreases - moderate evidence of improved | anxiety | Human | diverse adult clinical populations | Not specified. | Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis.cited 1,019× |
| singing bowl sound meditation | Decreases - reducing | anxiety | Human | — | Not specified. | Exploring the healing power of singing bowls: An overview of key findings and potential benefits.cited 2× |
| meditation practices | Increases - most common | anxiety | Human | — | Not specified | Adverse events in meditation practices and meditation-based therapies: a systematic review.cited 76× |
| Intensive Meditation (Templestay program) | Decreases - may be a possible treatment strategy | depression and anxiety | Human | clinical populations, such as patients with depression and anxiety | 4 days of Intensive Meditation (Templestay program) or Relaxation. | The effects of four days of intensive mindfulness meditation training (Templestay program) on resilience to stress: a randomized controlled trial.cited 19× |
| Moving meditation | Increases - had moderate/good quality evidence for | anxiety | Human | — | Not specified | Scoping review of systematic reviews of complementary medicine for musculoskeletal and mental health conditions.cited 40× |
| guided imagery meditation | Decreases - reduced | anxiety | Human | patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery | Not specified | Effect of Guided Imagery Meditation During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy on Reducing Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 7× |