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Evidence suggests Meditation maydecreaseDepression.
65 studies (78 claims)
Strong consensus
Study Claims
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Type | Population | Dosage | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| traditional meditation retreats | Decreases - suggested large effects | measures of anxiety, depression and stress | Human | general population | Not specified. | Effectiveness of traditional meditation retreats: A systematic review and meta-analysis.cited 40× |
| mindfulness practices such as meditation | Decreases - led to significant reductions | depression | 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× |
| Sahaj Samadhi meditation (SSM) | Decreases - significant improvement | Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD; 17-item) score | Human | men and women aged 60-85 years, with mild to moderate depression and receiving treatment as usual (TAU) | 4 consecutive days of group meditation training followed by 11 weekly reinforcement sessions. | Effects of Sahaj Samadhi meditation on heart rate variability and depressive symptoms in patients with late-life depression.cited 15× |
| transcendental meditation | Decreases - suggestive of a possible value for treating | depression | Human | youth | Not specified | Meditation and mindfulness in clinical practice.cited 51× |
| yoga meditation | Decreases - suggestive of a possible value for treating | depression | Human | youth | Not specified | Meditation and mindfulness in clinical practice.cited 51× |
| mindfulness meditation practice | Decreases - significant differences found between those who meditated for 3 days a week or more and those who meditated less often | clinician-rated depression | 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 - A significant correlation was found between a greater number of days meditated | clinician-rated depression scores on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale | 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 - 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 - A greater number of days meditated during the 8-week MBCT program was related to lower depression scores | depression scores | 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 - trends were noted | self-reported depression | 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 (MM) alone | No effect - compared with | stress, anxiety, and depression | Human | high-stress college-based young adults | Not specified | Aerobic exercise, mindfulness meditation, and stress-reduction in high-stress, college-based young adults: A pilot study.cited 1× |
| aerobic exercise (AE) and mindfulness meditation (MM) | No effect - assessed the feasibility and combined effect | stress, anxiety, and depression | Human | high-stress college-based young adults | Not specified | Aerobic exercise, mindfulness meditation, and stress-reduction in high-stress, college-based young adults: A pilot study.cited 1× |
| Yoga meditation | Decreases - significantly reduced | depression | Human | female college students | Not specified | From contemplation to serenity: how yoga meditation improves the mental health of female college students? |
| meditation and mindfulness-based interventions | Decreases - associated with | depression reduction | Human | — | Not specified | Physical exercise intervention in depressive disorders: meta-analysis and systematic review.cited 273× |
| mindfulness meditation-based interventions (MMIs) | Increases - strongly supported improvements | depressive disorders, particularly recurrent major depression | Human | people with depression | Not specified | Overview of Systematic Reviews of Mindfulness Meditation-based Interventions for People With Long-term Conditions.cited 8× |
| Inner Resources for Stress mindfulness meditation and mantra training | No effect - not statistically significant pre-post improvements | depression | Human | older female dementia family caregivers | 8 weeks of Inner Resources for Stress mindfulness meditation and mantra training (specific frequency not detailed). | Randomized Controlled Trial of Inner Resources Meditation for Family Dementia Caregivers.cited 26× |
| between-session meditation practice | Decreases - significantly associated with decreases | depression | Human | older female dementia family caregivers | 8 weeks of Inner Resources for Stress mindfulness meditation and mantra training (specific frequency not detailed). | Randomized Controlled Trial of Inner Resources Meditation for Family Dementia Caregivers.cited 26× |
| mindfulness meditation program (mindfulness-based stress reduction [MBSR]) | Decreases - significant medium to large size effects | depression | Human | patients with nonspecific chronic pain | Not specified | Effects of mindfulness meditation on chronic pain: a randomized controlled trial.cited 81× |
| meditation-based therapy | Decreases - had significantly lower depression scores | depression 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 lower depression scores | depression scores | Human | individuals with chronic neuropathy of various etiologies | Not specified | Meditation-Based Therapies for Chronic Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. |
| adjunctive meditation interventions of mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, and the mantram repetition program | Decreases - improve | depression symptoms | Human | adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Not specified | Meditation for posttraumatic stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis.cited 65× |
| meditation interventions | Decreases - improve | depression symptoms | Human | adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Not specified | Meditation for posttraumatic stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis.cited 65× |
| teaching the skills and practices of mindfulness meditation and cognitive-behavioral therapy during pregnancy | Decreases - may help to reduce | risk of depression | Human | pregnant women with histories of depression | Not specified | Staying well during pregnancy and the postpartum: A pilot randomized trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for the prevention of depressive relapse/recurrence.cited 114× |
| meditation practice | Decreases - significantly improved | depression | Human | heart failure patients | Not specified | Meditation interventions among heart failure patients: An integrative review.cited 11× |
| a meditation app | Decreases - fully mediated effects on | depression | 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 | depression 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 | depression | 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× |
| brief mindfulness meditation intervention | No effect - no statistically significant effect | depression 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 | depression | 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× |
| mindfulness-based meditation | Increases - has positive effects | depression | Human | — | Not specified | Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Benefits of Exercise, Yoga, and Meditation.cited 142× |
| mindfulness-based meditation | Increases - effects can last for six months or more | depression | Human | — | Not specified | Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Benefits of Exercise, Yoga, and Meditation.cited 142× |
| holistic meditation | Decreases - positively impacted | depression | Human | adults with CHF | Not specified | The Efficacy of Psychological Interventions on Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients With Heart Failure and Depression: A Systematic Review.cited 8× |
| ALS-specific meditation programme | Decreases - significant differences between groups over time | depression | 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× |
| Buddhist mindfulness meditation | Decreases - improved from depression | depression | Human | patients from the meditation group | 15 minutes daily, at least 5 days/week. | The Effect of Home Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation on Depressive Symptom in Major Depressive Patients.cited 2× |
| Buddhist mindfulness meditation | Increases - had a statistically significantly different in the number of patients that improved from depression | number of patients that improved from depression | Human | meditating group | 15 minutes daily, at least 5 days/week. | The Effect of Home Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation on Depressive Symptom in Major Depressive Patients.cited 2× |
| Buddhist mindfulness meditation combined with standard treatment | No effect - was not statistically significantly different | Thai Hamilton rating scale for depression | Human | major depressive patient | 15 minutes daily, at least 5 days/week. | The Effect of Home Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation on Depressive Symptom in Major Depressive Patients.cited 2× |
| 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 - reductions | depression | 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 | Increases - had moderate/good quality evidence for | depression | Human | — | Not specified | Scoping review of systematic reviews of complementary medicine for musculoskeletal and mental health conditions.cited 40× |
| meditation | No effect - turned to | symptoms of depression | Human | people with symptoms of depression | Not specified | Treatment of Mood and Depressive Disorders With Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Efficacy Review.cited 4× |
| meditation retreats | Decreases - reduce | depression | Human | — | Not specified. | Residential Meditation Retreats: A Promise of Sustainable Well-Being? |
| MMIs without guided meditation | Decreases - reduced | depression | Human | — | Not specified | Effects of mindfulness meditation interventions on depression in older adults: A meta-analysis.cited 51× |
| MMIs with guided meditation | Decreases - reduced | depression | Human | — | Not specified | Effects of mindfulness meditation interventions on depression in older adults: A meta-analysis.cited 51× |
| mindfulness practices including meditation | Decreases - reduce | depression | 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 | depression | 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 depression | 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 - reduced | depression | Human | veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 9-12 classes over 12 weeks (74% attendance rate). | Loving-kindness meditation for posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study.cited 97× |
| loving-kindness meditation | Decreases - may be effective in treating | depression | Human | — | Not specified | Compassion and Loving-Kindness Meditation: An Overview and Prospects for the Application in Clinical Samples.cited 30× |
| consumer-based mobile meditation application (app) | Decreases - were significantly less | self-reported depression | 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 depression | 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-based meditation techniques | No effect - are modifiers of | depression | Human | — | Not specified | Lifestyle medicine for depression.cited 245× |
| 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 | No effect - impact on | anxiety, stress and depression levels | Human | Mediterranean population with high-normal BP or grade I hypertension | 2 hours per week for 8 weeks | Benefits of mindfulness meditation in reducing blood pressure and stress in patients with arterial hypertension.cited 43× |
| mindfulness meditation (MM) | Decreases - consistently reduced | Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score | Human | patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) | Various regimens reported (type, duration, schemes, and ingredients not fully unified). | Mindfulness Meditation for Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. |
| mindfulness meditation (MM) | Decreases - a reduce | Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score | Human | patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) | Various regimens reported (type, duration, schemes, and ingredients not fully unified). | Mindfulness Meditation for Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. |
| mindfulness meditation (MM) | Decreases - relieves | depression | Human | patients with FMS | Various regimens reported (type, duration, schemes, and ingredients not fully unified). | Mindfulness Meditation for Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. |
| Mindfulness meditation | Decreases - significantly reduced | depression | Human | chronic pain | Not specified | Does mindfulness meditation improve chronic pain? A systematic review.cited 60× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - reviewed efficacious applications | depression | Human | — | Not specified | Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology.cited 169× |
| Mindfulness Meditation (MM) | No effect - explore the effectiveness | depression | 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 | Decreases - has a beneficial effect on | depression | Human | doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers | Not specified | Mindfulness in healthcare professionals and medical education.cited 41× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - significantly reduced | Depression levels | Human | people with self-declared depression | 1.5 hours per week | Argentine tango dance compared to mindfulness meditation and a waiting-list control: a randomised trial for treating depression.cited 50× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - had lower | depression 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 | Decreases - Statistically significant effects were also found for | depression symptoms | Human | adults with chronic pain | Not specified | Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.cited 497× |
| mindfulness meditation | Decreases - improves | depression symptoms | Human | adults with chronic pain | Not specified | Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.cited 497× |
| 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 | No effect - no similar effect was observed | Self-Rating Depression 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× |
| online mindfulness meditation intervention | Decreases - reported lower | depression | 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 depression | 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) | No effect - no difference between the MMM groups and the control groups in | depression | 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 | depression | 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 | depression | 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 interventions | Decreases - have shown therapeutic efficacy | depression | Human | clinical populations | Not specified | ENIGMA-Meditation: Worldwide Consortium for Neuroscientific Investigations of Meditation Practices.cited 2× |
| meditation programs | Decreases - moderate evidence of improved | depression | 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 | depression | 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 | depression | 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× |
| meditation therapies | Decreases - demonstrated moderate to large reductions | depression symptoms | Human | patients having acute major depressive episodes | Not specified | Critical analysis of the efficacy of meditation therapies for acute and subacute phase treatment of depressive disorders: a systematic review.cited 30× |
| meditation therapies | Decreases - demonstrated moderate to large reductions | depression symptoms | Human | patients with residual subacute clinical symptoms despite initial treatment | Not specified | Critical analysis of the efficacy of meditation therapies for acute and subacute phase treatment of depressive disorders: a systematic review.cited 30× |
| The meditation intervention | Decreases - more effective at reducing | depression | Human | undergraduate students with no prior meditation experience | 1-hour total training (3 sessions, duration per session not specified). | Effects of brief and sham mindfulness meditation on mood and cardiovascular variables.cited 147× |
| 12-week PA and meditation intervention | Decreases - Significant improvements were found | depression | Human | Spanish university students | Six meditation sessions (yoga and mindfulness) over 12 weeks (frequency not specified). | Healthy Pills: A Physical Activity and Meditation Program to Enhance Mental Health and Well-Being in Spanish University Students. |
| iRest meditation training | Decreases - promising trends in improvements | depression symptoms | Human | older adults | 2-day retreat followed by 20 minutes of daily home practice (guided meditations for iRest, music for vacation) for 6 weeks. | iRest Meditation for Older Adults with Depression Symptoms: A Pilot Study.cited 16× |