Title
Only Small Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Biomarker Levels of Inflammation and Stress: A Preregistered Systematic Review and Two Three-Level Meta-Analyses
Author
... show all
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have a positive effect on biomarkers of inflammation and stress in patients with psychiatric disorders and physical illnesses. Regarding subclinical populations, results are less clear. The present meta-analysis addressed the effects of MBIs on biomarkers in psychiatric populations and among healthy, stressed, and at-risk populations. All available biomarker data were investigated with a comprehensive approach, using two three-level meta-analyses. Pre–post changes in biomarker levels within treatment groups (k = 40 studies, total N = 1441) and treatment effects compared to control group effects, using only RCT data (k = 32, total N = 2880), were of similar magnitude, Hedges g = −0.15 (95% CI = [−0.23, −0.06], p < 0.001) and g = −0.11 (95% CI = [−0.23, 0.001], p = 0.053). Effects increased in magnitude when including available follow-up data but did not differ between type of sample, MBI, biomarker, and control group or duration of the MBI. This suggests that MBIs may ameliorate biomarker levels in both psychiatric and subclinical populations to a small extent. However, low study quality and evidence of publication bias may have impacted on the results. More large and preregistered studies are still needed in this field of research.
Keywords
MBIsmindfulnessbiomarkers of inflammation and stressinterleukinC-reactive proteincortisolthree-level meta-analysis
Object type
Language
English [eng]
Persistent identifier
phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:1942099
Appeared in
Title
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume
24
Issue
5
ISSN
1422-0067
Issued
2023
Publication
MDPI AG
Version type
Date issued
2023
Access rights
Rights
Rights statement
© 2023 by the authors
University of Vienna | Universitätsring 1 | 1010 Vienna | T
+43-1-4277-0