Mindfulness did not clearly outperform social contact for loneliness
In older adults experiencing loneliness in Hong Kong, a randomized trial found no statistically clear difference between mindfulness groups and social contact groups on the main outcome.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The mindfulness program did not show a statistically clear advantage over social contact for loneliness at the primary follow-up. Loneliness improved within both groups, but those changes alone cannot establish which program caused improvement. The result leaves uncertainty about any difference between the programs and should not be read as proof of equivalence.
The abstract gives no confidence interval for the main difference and does not name the loneliness scale. The reported nonsignificant result cannot rule out a meaningful difference between programs.
What researchers found
Loneliness score at 12 months
Mindfulness versus social contact; between-group score difference. The questionnaire scale is not named in the abstract.
What was compared
Both programs involved face-to-face group sessions with the same schedule and session length. This active comparison tested whether mindfulness offered an advantage over another group experience, with social contact included in the control condition.
Secondary outcomes differed
Participants assigned to mindfulness reported fewer depressive symptoms than the social contact group at 6 months, alongside a decreasing trend in anxiety. These secondary findings address different outcomes from the trial’s main loneliness question.
The original publication
Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention versus a social contact control in alleviating loneliness among older adults: a randomised controlled trial.
Wong ET, Lee EK, Mo PK et al.
BMJ Ment Health · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41628950
- Record checked
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