TY - JOUR
T1 - Mindfulness-based interventions for pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients receiving palliative care
T2 - a meta-analysis
AU - Saragih, Ice Septriani
AU - Tarihoran, Dame Elysabeth Tuty Arna Uly
AU - Tzeng, Huey Ming
AU - Saragih, Ita Daryanti
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
PY - 2026
Y1 - 2026
N2 - Background: Palliative care addresses not only physical symptoms but also emotional and spiritual suffering in patients with advanced disease. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may help alleviate symptoms and enhance quality of life. Previous reviews have explored MBIs’ efficacy, but evidence remains inconclusive. Objective: To systematically evaluate the effects of MBIs on pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients receiving palliative care. Methods: Six databases and grey literature were searched from databases inception to 22 May 2025. Outcomes included pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Meta-analyses with forest plots estimated pooled standardised mean differences (SMDs). Egger’s test assessed publication bias, and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis evaluated result stability. Results: Thirteen trials were included. MBIs significantly reduced anxiety (SMD = −0.68, 95% CI = −1.15 to −0.21, I2 = 65.37%, p < 0.001) and depression (SMD = −0.43, 95% CI = −0.68 to −0.18, I2 = 0.00%, p < 0.001). Effects on pain and quality of life were less clear, with insufficient evidence to confirm significant benefit. Conclusions: MBIs appear to alleviate anxiety and depression in palliative care patients, highlighting their potential as supportive interventions. Further research is warranted to clarify effects on pain and quality of life.
AB - Background: Palliative care addresses not only physical symptoms but also emotional and spiritual suffering in patients with advanced disease. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may help alleviate symptoms and enhance quality of life. Previous reviews have explored MBIs’ efficacy, but evidence remains inconclusive. Objective: To systematically evaluate the effects of MBIs on pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients receiving palliative care. Methods: Six databases and grey literature were searched from databases inception to 22 May 2025. Outcomes included pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Meta-analyses with forest plots estimated pooled standardised mean differences (SMDs). Egger’s test assessed publication bias, and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis evaluated result stability. Results: Thirteen trials were included. MBIs significantly reduced anxiety (SMD = −0.68, 95% CI = −1.15 to −0.21, I2 = 65.37%, p < 0.001) and depression (SMD = −0.43, 95% CI = −0.68 to −0.18, I2 = 0.00%, p < 0.001). Effects on pain and quality of life were less clear, with insufficient evidence to confirm significant benefit. Conclusions: MBIs appear to alleviate anxiety and depression in palliative care patients, highlighting their potential as supportive interventions. Further research is warranted to clarify effects on pain and quality of life.
KW - meta-analysis
KW - mindfulness-based interventions
KW - pain
KW - palliative care
KW - quality of life
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105031414545
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105031414545#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1177/17449871261419719
DO - 10.1177/17449871261419719
M3 - Article
C2 - 41767197
AN - SCOPUS:105031414545
SN - 1744-9871
JO - Journal of Research in Nursing
JF - Journal of Research in Nursing
ER -