Analysis of effects of MBPs, when compared with active/passive controls or delivered as a selective/universal intervention for selected outcomes
k | Total n | Intervention effects | Heterogeneity | Publication bias (Egger) | ||||||||
Mean effect size (d) | SE | 95% CI | z | P value | Q value | P value | I2 | t | P value | |||
Anxiety/stress | ||||||||||||
All | 36 | 11 530 | 0.14 | 0.04 | (0.06 to 0.23) | 3.25 | <0.01 | 70.42 | <0.01 | 50 | 4.08 | <0.01 |
Active controls | 17 | 1705 | 0.11 | 0.05 | (0.02 to 0.21) | 2.32 | <0.05 | 10.17 | 0.86 | 0 | 1.49 | 0.16 |
Passive controls | 21 | 9967 | 0.12 | 0.06 | (−0.01 to 0.38) | 2.05 | <0.05 | 56.32 | <0.01 | 64 | 2.51 | <0.05 |
Selective intervention | 18 | 1132 | 0.24 | 0.07 | (0.11 to 0.37) | 3.64 | <0.01 | 18.98 | 0.33 | 10 | 0.55 | 0.59 |
Universal intervention | 18 | 10 452 | 0.08 | 0.05 | (−0.02 to 0.18) | 1.64 | 0.1 | 34.86 | <0.01 | 51 | 2.89 | <0.05 |
Attention | ||||||||||||
All | 24 | 2920 | 0.21 | 0.07 | (0.07 to 0.36) | 2.89 | <0.01 | 71.96 | <0.01 | 68 | 1.3 | 0.21 |
Active controls | 11 | 1503 | 0.04 | 0.05 | (−0.06 to 0.14) | 0.73 | 0.47 | 8.74 | 0.56 | 0 | 0.11 | 0.92 |
Passive controls | 14 | 1435 | 0.35 | 0.12 | (0.11 to 0.58) | 2.91 | <0.01 | 53.89 | <0.01 | 76 | 0.9 | 0.38 |
Selective intervention | 9 | 763 | 0.34 | 0.17 | (−0.01 to 0.66) | 2.02 | <0.05 | 33.12 | <0.01 | 76 | 0.75 | 0.48 |
Universal intervention | 15 | 2142 | 0.16 | 0.08 | (0.01 to 0.32) | 2.06 | <0.05 | 36.28 | <0.01 | 61 | 0.74 | 0.47 |
Depression | ||||||||||||
All | 30 | 16 424 | 0.09 | 0.04 | (0.02 to 0.17) | 2.39 | <0.05 | 70.93 | <0.01 | 59 | 2.27 | <0.05 |
Active controls | 13 | 6002 | 0.1 | 0.07 | (−0.04 to 0.23) | 1.42 | 0.16 | 36.8 | <0.01 | 67 | 1.1 | 0.3 |
Passive controls | 19 | 12 802 | 0.06 | 0.04 | (−0.02 to 0.13) | 1.43 | 0.15 | 35.12 | <0.05 | 46 | 1.87 | 0.08 |
Selective intervention | 16 | 946 | 0.21 | 0.11 | (0.004 to 0.42) | 2 | <0.05 | 34.6 | <0.01 | 57 | 0.81 | 0.43 |
Universal intervention | 14 | 15 478 | 0.05 | 0.04 | (−0.02 to 0.12) | 1.31 | 0.19 | 30.45 | <0.01 | 57 | 1.29 | 0.22 |
Executive Functions | ||||||||||||
All | 36 | 11 618 | 0.25 | 0.06 | (0.13 to 0.36) | 4.22 | <0.01 | 147.47 | <0.01 | 76 | 3.49 | <0.01 |
Active controls | 14 | 1887 | 0.04 | 0.05 | (−0.06 to 0.13) | 0.76 | 0.45 | 13.25 | 0.43 | 2 | 0.86 | 0.41 |
Passive controls | 25 | 9890 | 0.35 | 0.08 | (0.19 to 0.52) | 4.19 | <0.01 | 140.9 | <0.01 | 83 | 3.65 | <0.01 |
Selective intervention | 13 | 966 | 0.39 | 0.13 | (0.14 to 0.65) | 3.07 | <0.01 | 38.35 | <0.01 | 69 | 1.2 | 0.26 |
Universal intervention | 23 | 10 652 | 0.19 | 0.06 | (0.06 to 0.31) | 2.89 | <0.01 | 91.96 | <0.01 | 76 | 2.31 | <0.05 |
Mindfulness | ||||||||||||
All | 25 | 10 532 | 0.16 | 0.06 | (0.04 to 0.29) | 2.55 | <0.05 | 84.65 | <0.01 | 72 | 3.9 | <0.01 |
Active controls | 14 | 1628 | 0.24 | 0.01 | (0.06 to 0.42) | 2.61 | <0.01 | 34.23 | <0.01 | 62 | 1.1 | 0.29 |
Passive controls | 12 | 8918 | 0.03 | 0.07 | (-0.11 to 0.16) | 0.4 | 0.69 | 25.85 | <0.01 | 57 | 2.36 | <0.05 |
Selective intervention | 11 | 447 | 0.29 | 0.1 | (0.09 to 0.50) | 2.83 | <0.01 | 12.19 | 0.27 | 18 | 0.04 | 0.97 |
Universal intervention | 14 | 10 085 | 0.1 | 0.07 | (−0.04 to 0.24) | 1.44 | 0.15 | 58.24 | <0.01 | 78 | 2.64 | <0.05 |
Negative Behaviour | ||||||||||||
All | 23 | 10 318 | 0.21 | 0.06 | (0.09 to 0.33) | 3.4 | <0.01 | 73.14 | <0.01 | 70 | 3.22 | <0.01 |
Active controls | 8 | 999 | 0.13 | 0.1 | (−0.06 to 0.32) | 1.31 | 0.19 | 13.86 | 0.054 | 49 | 0.23 | 0.83 |
Passive controls | 17 | 9462 | 0.23 | 0.08 | (0.08 to 0.37) | 3.02 | <0.01 | 59.39 | <0.01 | 73 | 2.95 | <0.01 |
Selective intervention | 12 | 1185 | 0.1 | 0.06 | (−0.02 to 0.22) | 1.69 | 0.09 | 6.94 | 0.8 | 0 | 1.74 | 0.11 |
Universal intervention | 11 | 9133 | 0.31 | 0.1 | (0.10 to 0.51) | 2.99 | <0.01 | 65.17 | <0.01 | 85 | 2.86 | <0.05 |
Social Behaviour | ||||||||||||
All | 18 | 10 051 | 0.13 | 0.07 | (−0.01 to 0.26) | 1.84 | 0.07 | 70.41 | <0.01 | 76 | 2.3 | <0.05 |
Active controls | 8 | 1257 | −0.03 | 0.13 | (−0.27 to 0.22) | −0.21 | 0.83 | 25.17 | <0.01 | 72 | 1.22 | 0.27 |
Passive controls | 11 | 8915 | 0.21 | 0.09 | (0.04 to 0.39) | 2.34 | <0.05 | 44.05 | <0.01 | 77 | 4.72 | <0.01 |
Selective intervention | 7 | 570 | −0.11 | 0.18 | (−0.47 to 0.24) | −0.63 | 0.53 | 19.24 | <0.01 | 69 | 1.49 | 0.2 |
Universal intervention | 11 | 9481 | 0.2 | 0.08 | (0.04 to 0.36) | 2.43 | <0.05 | 50.6 | <0.01 | 80 | 5.28 | <0.01 |
Well-being | ||||||||||||
All | 10 | 11 889 | 0.03 | 0.05 | (−0.06 to 0.13) | 0.71 | 0.48 | 21.63 | <0.05 | 58 | 1.12 | 0.3 |
Active controls | 7 | 3171 | 0.11 | 0.07 | (−0.04 to 0.25) | 1.43 | 0.15 | 9.87 | 0.13 | 39 | 0.78 | 0.47 |
Passive controls | 6 | 10 094 | −0.1 | 0.05 | (−0.20 to 0.01) | −1.83 | 0.07 | 11.67 | <0.05 | 57 | 1.13 | 0.32 |
Selective intervention | 1 | 71 | −0.61 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Universal intervention | 9 | 11 818 | 0.05 | 0.04 | (−0.04 to 0.13) | 1.05 | 0.29 | 16.3 | <0.05 | 51 | 2.47 | <0.05 |
d, cohen’s d; k, number of studies; MBPs, mindfulness-based programmes; p, significance level; Q, positive false discovery rate; t, Egger’s regression.