4,397
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
EMPIRICAL PAPERS

Meditation, mindfulness, and acceptance methods in psychotherapy: A systematic review

ORCID Icon, , &
Pages 873-885 | Received 10 Jan 2023, Accepted 27 Apr 2023, Published online: 08 May 2023

References

  • *Studies included in systematic review
  • Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Hopkins, J., Krietemeyer, J., & Toney, L. (2006). Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 13(1), 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191105283504
  • Baer, R., Crane, C., Miller, E., & Kuyken, W. (2019a). Doing no harm in mindfulness-based programs: Conceptual issues and empirical findings. Clinical Psychology Review, 71, 101–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2019.01.001
  • Baer, R., Crane, C., Montero-Marin, J., Phillips, A., Taylor, L., Tickell, A., & Kuyken, W. (2020). Frequency of self-reported unpleasant events and harm in a mindfulness-based program in two general population samples. Mindfulness, 12(3), 763–775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01547-8
  • Baer, R., Gu, J., Cavanagh, K., & Strauss, C. (2019b). Differential sensitivity of mindfulness questionnaires to change with treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Assessment, 31(10), 1247–1263. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000744
  • Benish, S. G., Quintana, S., & Wampold, B. E. (2011). Culturally adapted psychotherapy and the legitimacy of myth: A direct-comparison meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58(3), 279–289. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023626
  • Bernstein, A., Hadash, Y., Lichtash, Y., Tanay, G., Shepherd, K., & Fresco, D. M. (2015). Decentering and related constructs: A critical review and metacognitive processes model. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(5), 599–617. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615594577
  • Biggers, A., Spears, C. A., Sanders, K., Ong, J., Sharp, L. K., & Gerber, B. S. (2020). Promoting mindfulness in African American communities. Mindfulness, 11(10), 2274–2282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01480-w
  • Blanck, P., Perleth, S., Heidenreich, T., Kröger, P., Ditzen, B., Bents, H., & Mander, J. (2018). Effects of mindfulness exercises as stand-alone intervention on symptoms of anxiety and depression: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 102, 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.12.002
  • Block-Lerner, J., Wulfert, E., & Moses, E. (2009). ACT in context: An exploration of experiential acceptance. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 16(4), 443–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2009.04.005
  • Bodhi, B. (2005). In the Buddha’s words: An anthology of discourses from the Pali canon. Wisdom Publications, Inc.
  • Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., Baer, R. A., Carpenter, K. M., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H. K., Waltz, T., & Zettle, R. D. (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the acceptance and action questionnaire–II: A revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behavior Therapy, 42(4), 676–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007
  • Britton, W. B., Lindahl, J. R., Cooper, D. J., Canby, N. K., & Palitsky, R. (2021). Defining and measuring meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs. Clinical Psychological Science, 9(6), 1185–1204. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702621996340
  • Brown, K., & Ryan, R. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
  • Chawla, N., Collins, S., Bowen, S., Hsu, S., Grow, J., Douglass, A., & Marlatt, G. A. (2010). The mindfulness-based relapse prevention adherence and competence scale: Development, interrater reliability, and validity. Psychotherapy Research, 20(4), 388–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503300903544257
  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Erlbaum.
  • Cook, J., Biyanova, T., Elhai, J., Schnurr, P., & Coyne, J. (2010). What do psychotherapists really do in practice? An internet study of over 2000 practitioners. Psychotherapy Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 47(2), 260–267. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019788
  • Dahl, C. J., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2015). Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: Cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(9), 515–523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001
  • Davis, D. M., & Hayes, J. A. (2011). What are the benefits of mindfulness? A practice review of psychotherapy-related research. Psychotherapy, 48(2), 198–208. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022062
  • Del Re, A. C., Flűckiger, C., Goldberg, S. B., & Hoyt, W. T. (2013). Monitoring mindfulness practice quality: An important consideration in mindfulness practice. Psychotherapy Research, 23(1), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2012.729275
  • Eichel, K., Gawande, R., Acabchuk, R. L., Palitsky, R., Chau, S., Pham, A., Cheaito, A., Yam, D., Lipsky, J., Dumais, T., & Britton, W. (2021). A retrospective systematic review of diversity variables in mindfulness research, 2000–2016. Mindfulness, 12, 2573–2592.
  • Forsyth, J. P., & Eifert, G. H. (2007). The mindfulness and acceptance workbook for anxiety: A guide to breaking free from anxiety, phobias, and worry using acceptance and commitment therapy. New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
  • Galante, J., Friedrich, C., Dawson, A. F., Modrego-Alarcón, M., Gebbing, P., Delgado-Suárez, I., Gupta, R., Dean, L., Dalgleish, T., White, I. R., & Jones, P. B. (2021). Mindfulness-based programmes for mental health promotion in adults in nonclinical settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. PLoS Medicine, 18(1), e1003481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003481
  • Geller, S. M., Greenberg, L. S., & Watson, J. C. (2010). Therapist and client perceptions of therapeutic presence: The development of a measure. Psychotherapy Research, 20(5), 599–610. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2010.495957
  • Goldberg, S. B. (2022). A common factors perspective on mindfulness-based interventions. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(10), 605–619. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00090-8
  • Goldberg, S. B., Del Re, A. C., Hoyt, W. T., & Davis, J. M. (2014). The secret ingredient in mindfulness interventions? A case for practice quality over quantity. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 61(3), 491–497. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000032
  • Goldberg, S. B., Imhoff-Smith, T., Bolt, D. M., Wilson-Mendenhall, C. D., Dahl, C. J., Davidson, R. J., & Rosenkranz, M. A. (2020a). Testing a multi-component, self-guided, smartphone-based meditation app: Three-armed randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health, 7(11), e23825. https://doi.org/10.2196/23825
  • Goldberg, S. B., Knoeppel, C., Davidson, R. J., & Flook, L. (2020b). Does practice quality mediate the relationship between practice time and outcome in mindfulness-based stress reduction? Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67(1), 115–122. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000369
  • Goldberg, S. B., Lam, S., Britton, W. B., & Davidson, R. J. (2022a). Prevalence of meditation-related adverse effects in a population-based sample in the United States. Psychotherapy Research, 32(3), 291–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2021.1933646
  • Goldberg, S. B., Riordan, K., Sun, S., & Davidson, R. J. (2022b). The empirical status of mindfulness-based interventions: A systematic review of 44 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(1), 108–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620968771
  • Goldberg, S. B., Tucker, R. P., Greene, P. A., Davidson, R. J., Wampold, B. E., Kearney, D. J., & Simpson, T. L. (2018). Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 59, 52–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.10.011
  • Goldberg, S. B., Tucker, R. P., Greene, P. A., Simpson, T. L., Hoyt, W. T., Kearney, D. J., & Davidson, R. J. (2019). What can we learn from randomized clinical trials about the construct validity of self- report measures of mindfulness? A meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 10(5), 775–785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1032-y
  • Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., Berger, Z., Sleicher, D., Maron, D. D., Shihab, H. M., Ranasinghe, P. D., Linn, S., Saha, S., Bass, E. B., & Haythornthwaite, J. A. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357–368. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018
  • Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2021). The mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement fidelity measure (MORE-FM): development and validation of a New tool to assess therapist adherence and competence. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 18(3), 308–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/26408066.2020.1833803
  • Hanley, A. W., Warner, A. R., Dehili, V. M., Canto, A. I., & Garland, E. L. (2015). Washing dishes to wash the dishes: Brief instruction in an informal mindfulness practice. Mindfulness, 6(5), 1095–1103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0360-9
  • Harned, M. S., Korslund, K. E., Schmidt, S. C., & Gallop, R. J. (2021). The dialectical behavior therapy adherence coding scale (DBT ACS): psychometric properties. Psychological Assessment, 33(6), 552–561. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000999
  • Harrington, A., & Dunne, J. D. (2015). When mindfulness is therapy: Ethical qualms, historical perspectives. American Psychologist, 70(7), 621–631. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039460
  • Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy, relational frame theory, and the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapies. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 639–665.
  • Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change. Guilford Press.
  • Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. G., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152–1168. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.64.6.1152
  • Hirshberg, M. J., Frye, C., Dahl, C. J., Riordan, K. M., Vack, N. J., Sachs, J., Goldman, R., Davidson, R. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2022). A randomized controlled trial of a smartphone-based well-being training in public school system employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(8), 1895–1911. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000739
  • Hirshberg, M. J., Goldberg, S., Rosenkranz, M. A., & Davidson, R. J. (2022). Prevalence of harm in mindfulness-based stress reduction. Psychological Medicine, 52, 1080-1088. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720002834
  • *Horst, K., Newsom, K., & Stith, S. (2013). Client and therapist initial experience of using mindfulness in therapy. Psychotherapy Research, 23(4), 369–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2013.784420
  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Hyperion.
  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2011). Some reflections on the origins of MBSR, skillful means, and the trouble with maps. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 281–306. https://doi.org/10.1080/14639947.2011.564844
  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living: How to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation (Revised ed.). Piatkus.
  • Kuyken, W., Warren, F. C., Taylor, R. S., Whalley, B., Crane, C., Bondolfi, G., Hayes, R., Huijbers, M., Ma, H., Schweizer, S., Segal, Z., Speckens, A., Teasdale, J. D., Van Heeringen, K., Williams, M., Byford, S., Byng, R., & Dalgeish, T. (2016). Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in prevention of depressive relapse: An individual patient data meta-analysis from randomized trials. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(6), 565–574. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0076
  • Lau, M. A., Bishop, S. R., Segal, Z. V., Buis, T., Anderson, N. D., Carlson, L., Shapiro, S., Carmody, J., Abbey, S., & Devins, G. (2006). The Toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(12), 1445–1467. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20326
  • Lindahl, J. R., Fisher, N. E., Cooper, D. J., Rosen, R. K., & Britton, W. B. (2017). The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists. PLOS ONE, 12(5), e0176239. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176239
  • Lindsay, E. K., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mechanisms of mindfulness training: Monitor and acceptance theory (MAT). Clinical Psychology Review, 51, 48–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.10.011
  • Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.
  • Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). Guilford.
  • Longfellow, H. W. (1900). Poems of Henry W. Longfellow. A. L. Burt Company.
  • Lutz, A., Slagter, H., Dunne, J., & Davidson, R. (2008). Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation. Trends in Cognitive Science, 12(4), 163–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2008.01.005
  • *Mander, J., Blanck, P., Neubauer, A. B., Kröger, P., Flückiger, C., Lutz, W., Barnow, S., Bents, H., & Heidenreich, T. (2019). Mindfulness and progressive muscle relaxation as standardized session – introduction in individual therapy: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75(1), 21–45. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22695
  • Mander, J., Kröger, P., Heidenreich, T., Flückiger, C., Lutz, W., Bents, H., & Barnow, S. (2015). The process-outcome mindfulness effects in trainees (PrOMET) study: Protocol of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychology, 3(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-015-0082-3
  • *Michaelis, R., Niedermann, C., Reuber, M., Kuthe, M., & Berger, B. (2018). “Seizures have become a means of somehow learning things about myself”—A qualitative study of the development of self-efficacy and mastery during a psychotherapeutic intervention for people with epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior, 84, 152–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.04.019
  • Michalak, J., Crane, C., Germer, C. K., Gold, E., Heidenreich, T., Mander, J., Meibert, P., & Segal, Z. V. (2019). Principles for a responsible integration of mindfulness in individual therapy. Mindfulness, 10(5), 799–811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01142-6
  • Michalak, J., Steinhaus, K., & Heidenreich, T. (2020). (How) do therapists use mindfulness in their clinical work? A study on the implementation of mindfulness interventions. Mindfulness, 11(2), 401–410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0929-9
  • Neff, K. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027
  • Nidich, S., Mills, P. J., Rainforth, M., Heppner, P., Schneider, R. H., Rosenthal, N. E., Salerno, J., Gaylord-King, C., & Rutledge, T. (2018). Non-trauma-focused meditation versus exposure therapy in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: A randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Psychiatry, 5(12), 975–986. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30384-5
  • Öst, L. G. (2008). Efficacy of the third wave of behavioral therapies: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46(3), 296–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2007.12.005
  • Öst, L. G. (2014). The efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 61, 105–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.07.018
  • Quaglia, J. T., Braun, S. E., Freeman, S. P., McDaniel, M. A., & Brown, K. W. (2016). Meta-analytic evidence for effects of mindfulness training on dimensions of self-reported dispositional mindfulness. Psychological Assessment, 28(7), 803–818. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000268
  • Salzberg, S. (2004). Lovingkindness: The revolutionary art of happiness. Shambala.
  • Schumer, M. C., Lindsay, E. K., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Brief mindfulness training for negative affectivity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 86(7), 569–583. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000324
  • Segal, Z. V., Teasdale, J. D., Williams, J. M., & Gemar, M. C. (2002). The mindfulness-based cognitive therapy adherence scale: Inter-rater reliability, adherence to protocol and treatment distinctiveness. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 9(2), 131–138. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.320
  • Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2013). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
  • Smeets, E., Neff, K., Alberts, H., & Peters, M. (2014). Meeting suffering with kindness: Effects of a brief self-compassion intervention for female college students. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70(9), 794–807. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22076
  • Smith, H. (1991). The world’s religions. HarperCollins Publishers.
  • Society of Clinical Psychology. (n.d.). Psychological treatments. https://div12.org/treatments/
  • Sun, S., Goldberg, S. B., Loucks, E., & Brewer, J. (2022). Mindfulness-based interventions among racial/ethnic minorities: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychotherapy Research, 32(3), 277–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2021.1937369
  • Tanay, G., & Bernstein, A. (2013). State mindfulness scale (SMS): development and initial validation. Psychological Assessment, 25(4), 1286–1299. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034044
  • Tovote, K. A., Fleer, J., Snippe, E., Peeters, A. C., Emmelkamp, P. M., Sanderman, R., Links, T. P., & Schroevers, M. J. (2014). Individual mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and cognitive behavior therapy for treating depressive symptoms in patients with diabetes: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care, 37(9), 2427–2434. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc13-2918
  • Van Dam, N. T., van Vugt, M. K., Vago, D. R., Schmalzl, L., Saron, C. D., Olendzki, A., Meissner, T., Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C. E., Gorchov, J., Fox, K. C. R., Field, B. A., Britton, W. B., Brefczynski-Lewis, J. A., & Meyer, D. E. (2018). Mind the hype: A critical evaluation and prescriptive agenda for research on mindfulness and meditation. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(1), 36–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617709589
  • Wampold, B., & Imel, Z. E. (2015). The great psychotherapy debate: The evidence for what makes psychotherapy work (2nd ed.). Routledge.
  • Wasil, A. R., Gillespie, S., Patel, R., Petre, A., Venturo-Conerly, K. E., Shingleton, R. M., Weisz, J. R., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2020). Reassessing evidence-based content in popular smartphone apps for depression and anxiety: Developing and applying user-adjusted analyses. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88(11), 983–993. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000604
  • Woods-Giscombé, C. L., & Black, A. R. (2010). Mind-body interventions to reduce risk for health disparities related to stress and strength among African American women: The potential of mindfulness-based stress reduction, loving-kindness, and the NTU therapeutic framework. Complementary Health Review, 15(3), 115–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1533210110386776
  • Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2005). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (5th ed.). Basic Books.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.