Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies

Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.

Research highlights
► Mindfulness refers to attending to experience on purpose and non-judgmentally.
► Trait mindfulness and meditation practice correlate with psychological well-being.
► Mindfulness intervention programs reduce psychological symptoms and distress.
► Mindfulness instructions reduce emotional reactivity in laboratory studies.
► Mechanisms of mindfulness' effects need to be a focus of future studies.