Meditation showed a modest advantage over relaxation therapy for anxiety

Research details

The review included 14 randomized controlled trials with 862 participants.

Meditation reduced anxiety slightly more than relaxation therapy on average.

The estimated benefit was modest; about eight people would need to choose meditation instead of relaxation therapy for one additional person to benefit at the measured level.

The possible advantage of meditation may have remained at 12 months, but relatively few studies were judged high quality.

The findings concern the meditation approaches studied and do not show that meditation replaces professional treatment or helps everyone.

Teaser

A review of 14 randomized trials found that meditation reduced anxiety slightly more than relaxation therapies, while also noting limits in the available evidence.

Plain Summary

A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether meditation could reduce anxiety more effectively than relaxation therapies. The researchers combined results from 14 randomized controlled trials involving 862 adults who either had an anxiety disorder or had relatively high, long-lasting anxiety traits.

Across the studies, people assigned to the meditation interventions experienced a small additional reduction in anxiety compared with those assigned to relaxation therapy. The difference was statistically significant, meaning it was unlikely to be explained entirely by chance in these studies. In everyday terms, meditation appeared to offer a modest advantage—not a dramatic one.

The review estimated that about eight people would need to take part in meditation rather than relaxation therapy for one additional person to benefit at the level measured by the studies. This estimate is a way of describing the average result across the research; it does not mean that every eighth person will respond, or that meditation will help everyone.

The researchers reported that the results were reasonably consistent across the studies. They also said the advantage of meditation might still be present when participants were assessed 12 months later. However, this longer-term finding should be interpreted carefully because the review included relatively few studies considered to be high quality, and the authors called for more independent research.

The research compared the particular meditation interventions used in these trials with relaxation therapies. It therefore supports a careful conclusion about the studied forms of meditation, rather than a claim about every meditation tradition or practice. The comparison was also with another active approach, not with doing nothing or with usual medical care. The findings suggest meditation may help reduce anxiety symptoms, but they do not show that it treats all anxiety disorders, replaces professional care, or is superior to standard clinical treatment.

Practical Takeaway

Taken together, this research suggests that meditation may provide a small added benefit for reducing anxiety compared with relaxation therapy. That is encouraging, but it is not proof that meditation works for every person or every anxiety disorder. The studies examined particular meditation interventions, and some had limitations, so more independent, high-quality research is needed. Meditation can therefore be understood as a possible supportive option, rather than a guaranteed solution or a substitute for appropriate professional care.