The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in promoting resilience: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are among the most common therapeutic approaches for enhancing psychological resilience. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy of MBIs in promoting resilience. A systematic search of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL was conducted and relevant review articles, studies, and the journal Mindfulness were hand-searched for potentially eligible randomised controlled trials. Fifty-seven trials were selected for inclusion. Meta-analyses revealed that MBIs outperformed inactive control conditions in enhancing resilience at post-intervention and follow-up with medium effect sizes. MBIs were also superior to active control conditions with a small effect size at follow-up, but not at post-intervention. No statistically significant differences were observed relative to comparison interventions. Thus, MBIs are efficacious in promoting resilience, but not more so than comparison interventions. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.