Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40681208›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Online mindfulness interventions in the care of people with physical and mental health conditions: a scoping review.

Vjura Senthilnathan, Susan Zahir, Robert Simpson, Susan Jaglal, Catharine Craven, Mary-Jo Fetterly, Laure Perrier, Sarah Munce

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Vjura SenthilnathanRehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada vjura.senthilnathan@utoronto.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-4819-5356
Susan ZahirRehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Robert SimpsonRehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Susan JaglalRehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2930-1443
Catharine CravenRehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mary-Jo FetterlyToronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Laure PerrierUniversity of Toronto Libraries, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sarah MunceRehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0595-8395

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveWith growing access to the internet, online mindfulness programmes have become more commonly used to manage physical and mental health conditions. This scoping review aims to determine the nature and extent of the literature, and key characteristics, of online mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for adults with physical or mental health conditions.

designA scoping review guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute framework. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Allied and Complementary Medicine and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies focusing on online MBIs, online mindfulness-based stress reduction and online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in adults with a physical or mental health condition were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Study and participant characteristics, key intervention characteristics, outcome measures and results were abstracted.

results84 studies were included. Online MBIs have been studied in many different physical and mental health conditions; however, 63 of the included studies were for physical health conditions. MBCT was the most common intervention type assessed, with 33 of the included studies assessing it. Regarding intervention characteristics, intervention duration was similar across intervention type at 8 weeks, with sessions led by therapists, clinicians or mindfulness instructors. Web-based and videoconferencing were the most common delivery formats. Intervention content generally remained similar to standardised MBIs, with the addition of psychoeducation and disease management. Many studies did not report on tailoring the intervention to the participant population. There was a lack of consistency in reporting intervention characteristics.

conclusionsThis review highlights some evidence for online mindfulness programmes for both physical and mental health conditions. However, intervention componentry remains somewhat obscure, and reporting on tailoring appears relatively sparse. Greater consistency in reporting intervention componentry will improve knowledge and study in this area and enhance the translation of these interventions to clinical settings.

Indexed as

Internet-Based InterventionMental DisordersMindfulnessAdultCognitive Behavioral TherapyHumansInternetMental HealthStress, PsychologicalMENTAL HEALTHMindfulnessPsychosocial InterventionREHABILITATION MEDICINE

Identifiers

PMID40681208
PMCPMC12273181

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.