Mindfulness meditation may offer the same relief as antidepressants or other prescribed medication for people battling anxiety, depression and pain, according to a new analysis Reuters reported.
Mindfulness meditation is a practice aimed at allowing the mind to pay attention to whatever thoughts enter it, such as sounds in the environment, without becoming too focused.
"Many people have the idea that meditation means just sitting quietly and doing nothing," Dr. Madhav Goyal, leader of the study, told Reuters. "That is not true. It is an active training of the mind to increase awareness, and different meditation programs approach this in different ways."
Using data from 47 earlier studies, researchers at John Hopkins University in Baltimore saw a 5 to 10 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms and a 10 to 20 percent improvement in individuals who meditated compared with a placebo group, BusinessWeek reported.
"This is similar to the effects that other studies have found for the use of antidepressants in similar populations," Goyal said.
Reuters reported that mindfulness meditation was also tied to reduced pain. However, the benefits of meditation didn't surpass "what is typically associated with other treatments, such as drugs and exercise, for those conditions."
"Our review suggests that there is moderate evidence for a small but consistent benefit for anxiety, depression and chronic pain,"Goyal added. "There is no known major harm from meditating, and meditation doesn't come with any known side effects. One can also practice meditation along with other treatments one is already receiving."
He added that more studies are needed to better understand who benefits the most by meditation programs.
