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SALT LAKE CITY — Mindfulness meditation may be a treatment worth consideration for those trying to cope with anxiety or depression, though it might not lead to more positive feelings or better overall health.
Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine this week indicates that mindfulness meditation — a secular, western form of meditation that focuses on breathing and turning attention to the present state of mind and body — could be a viable treatment option for individuals with depression, anxiety and even pain.
“People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power,” Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, a psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School told Harvard Health. “They can’t distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit.”
It was surprising to see that with so little training [about 2.5 hours of meditation practice per week] we were still seeing consistent effects.
–- Dr. Madhav Goyal, study author
The researchers from Johns Hopkins University looked at 47 trials involving individuals with stress-related conditions. Researchers found that meditation programs lasting eight weeks to six months were effective in creating small to moderate reductions of negative psychological stress, as well as visceral pain.
"It was surprising to see that with so little training [about 2.5 hours of meditation practice per week] we were still seeing consistent effects," study author Dr. Madhav Goyal told NPR.
Meditation did not appear to have better results than drug, exercise or other behavioral therapies. In none of the studies the researchers looked at did they find meditation was harmful.
Mindfulness meditation did not, however, have a notable effect on positive mood, attention, substance use, eating habits, sleep, and weight. More studies would need to take place to determine whether or not meditation would improve mood or control substance abuse, researchers said.
"Despite the limitations of the literature, the evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation programs could help reduce anxiety, depression and pain in some clinical populations," the researchers wrote. "Thus, clinicians should be prepared to talk with their patients about the role that a meditation program could have in addressing psychological stress."
