Mindfulness interventions and quality of life in anxiety-related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) effectively treat anxiety symptoms across different anxiety and related disorders (ARDs), including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigate whether MBIs also lead to improvements in the quality of life (QoL) of patients with ARDs. A systematic review was performed through electronic search in PUBMED, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, and Clinical Trials databases. The inclusion criteria comprised randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating individuals diagnosed with ARDs who underwent MBIs with QoL as an outcome. The review included 15 RCTs, encompassing 1.465 participants. Broadly speaking, we found that MBIs were more effective than control groups in improving QoL for individuals with ARDs (Standardized Mean Difference, SDM = 0.175, 95 % CI 0.048 to 0.303). Upon classifying studies by control group types, MBIs demonstrated greater effectiveness than non-gold standard interventions (SDM = 0.213, 95 % CI 0.053 to 0.372). Notably, no significant difference was found between MBIs and gold standard interventions (SDM = 0.061, 95 % CI -0.175 to 0.297). MBIs may effectively improve QoL in individuals with ARDs. Further studies with larger samples are needed for more robust conclusions.