Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40986384›Full record

Trial reportThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2025

Mindfulness-based stress reduction and loneliness in older adults: two randomized controlled trials.

Janine M Dutcher, Kirk W Brown, Emily K Lindsay, Carol M Greco, Aidan G C Wright, Autumn M Gallegos, Kathi L Heffner, J David Creswell

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
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.

Janine M DutcherDepartment of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-8678-8585
Kirk W BrownDepartment of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
Emily K LindsayDepartment of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
Carol M GrecoDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
Aidan G C WrightDepartment of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.
Autumn M GallegosDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States.
Kathi L HeffnerElaine Hubbard Center for Nursing Research on Aging, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-1095-1873
J David CreswellDepartment of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.

Funding

Rochester Roybal Center for Social Ties and Aging ResearchP30AG064103 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · PI HEFFNER, KATHI L, VAN ORDEN, KIMBERLY ALLISON · 2019 to 2023
$3.6M
Mindfulness to Improve Elders'Immune and Health StatusR01AG025474 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · PI MOYNIHAN, JAN A · 2005 to 2008
$1.1M
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG064103NIA NIH HHS R01 AG025474NIH HHS P30AG064103NIH HHS R01AG025474
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesLoneliness is one of the most robust risk factors for morbidity and accelerated mortality among older adults, and effective interventions are needed. However, interventions to reduce loneliness have shown limited success, especially in this population. Indeed, research suggests that simply increasing social contact might not combat loneliness; instead, addressing the cognitive and emotional mechanisms of loneliness might be more effective. Here, in two randomized controlled trials (RCT), we explored whether mindfulness training could reduce loneliness.

methodsThis study tested an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on loneliness in older adults across two RCTs. Study 1 compared MBSR to a waitlist (WL) control, and Study 2 compared MBSR to the Health Enhancement Program (HEP).

resultsFrom baseline to follow-up, MBSR significantly reduced loneliness compared to WL in Study 1 (b = -1.680, SE = 0.273, 95% CI [-3.325, -0.034], p = .045, β = -0.402). In Study 2, MBSR and HEP both reduced loneliness (main effect of time: b = -3.598, SE = 0.957, 95% CI [-5.481, -0.1.716], p < .001, β = -0.378), with no significant difference between conditions. Baseline depressive symptoms, perceived stress, sex, age, or homework did not reliably moderate effects on reducing loneliness. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that both MBSR and HEP may be promising approaches to addressing loneliness in older adults with effects lasting for months.

Indexed as

LonelinessMindfulnessStress, PsychologicalAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPsychological interventionsSocial isolationWell-being

Identifiers

PMID40986384
PMCPMC12597662

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.