AUTHOR=Abdul Manan Hanani , Mir Imtiyaz Ali , Humayra Syeda , Tee Rong Yuen , Vasu Deepak Thazhakkattu 

TITLE=Effect of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety, depression, and stress in patients with coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1435243

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1435243

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>Adopting lifestyle interventions is pivotal in coronary artery disease (CAD) management and prevention to amplify cardiovascular and mental well-being. This study aims to quantify the effect of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on anxiety, depression and stress in CAD patients.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted by searching four electronic databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Science Direct) through December 2023. The risk of bias was assessed using the PEDro tool, and the study outcomes were expressed as standard mean difference at 95% CI.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>Out of 1838 yielded results, eight RCTs involving 623 participants with a mean age of 56.96 ± 4.89 met the prespecified eligibility criteria. The pooled results showed a statistically significant and beneficial effect of MBIs on CAD patients’ mental health status in regards to anxiety (SMD = −0.83; 95% CI [−1.19, −0.46], <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), depression (SMD = − 0.86; 95% CI [−1.14, −0.58], <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), and stress (SMD = −0.69; 95% CI [−1.27, −0.12], <italic>p</italic> = 0.02). The subgroup sensitivity analyses based on the region (Asia vs. Europe) indicated a statistically non-significant subgroup effect of MBIs on anxiety (<italic>I</italic><sup>2</sup> = 63.9%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.10) and depression (<italic>I</italic><sup>2</sup> = 25.8%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.25), and a significant effect on stress (<italic>I</italic><sup>2</sup> = 80.0%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.03). Although the methodological quality of the trials was generally satisfactory, all studies lacked allocation concealment and blinding. Additionally, gender imbalances, and inadequate follow-up may have potentially compromised the validity of the trials.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Mindfulness-based interventions are beneficial for improving CAD patients’ anxiety, depression and stress symptoms. Nevertheless, it is imperative to conduct more rigorous and robust studies with an equal gender ratio and long-term follow-up.</p></sec>