Mindfulness review suggests symptom improvements, but gratitude's added role remains uncertain
Studies of varied mindfulness programs reported moderate psychological improvements. The abstract gives limited detail on comparison conditions and the extra contribution of gratitude exercises.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Mindfulness programs were linked to improved psychological symptoms across varied study settings in this review. Programs incorporating gratitude were described as having somewhat greater emotional benefits, but the abstract does not isolate gratitude's contribution. The findings support further examination without establishing that adding gratitude is the reason participants improved.
The abstract does not specify control conditions or provide a confidence interval for the pooled result. Combining randomized and quasi-experimental evidence also leaves uncertainty about how consistently the findings support causal conclusions.
Interpreting the pooled result
The combined analysis suggested a moderate improvement in psychological symptoms. Because the abstract does not describe the comparison conditions or provide a confidence interval, it is difficult to judge the practical size and precision of that result.
Gratitude needs a clearer comparison
The review describes modestly greater emotional benefits in programs that included gratitude. It does not report a direct comparison of otherwise identical programs with and without gratitude, leaving that specific question unresolved.
The original publication
The Effects of Mindfulness Techniques on Anxiety, Depression, and Stress, with an Emphasis on Gratitude: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Sarca M, Cojocaru A, Dumache R et al.
Healthcare (Basel) · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41827556
- Record checked
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