Meditation may offer the same relief as antidepressants for people with symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to an analysis of previous findings on the practice.
A review of 47 studies showed a 5 percent to 10 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms and a 10 percent to 20 percent improvement in depression in individuals who meditated compared with placebo groups, according to research recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The analysis also suggested that meditation improved pain, though it wasn't clear which types of pain benefit most.
The findings may support the use of "mindfulness" meditation as a way to moderate the need for medications to treat anxiety and depression, said Allan Goroll, a professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, in an accompanying editorial. Mindfulness meditation is a form practiced for 30 to 40 minutes a day that teaches a person how to become more aware of one's thoughts, breathing and emotions.