Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42500115›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in global women's health2026

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on mental health in natural menopause: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Flavia Bonfadini, Laura Paplauskaite, Michelle Hughes, Ruimin Ma, Mark Kennedy

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in global women's health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

5 authors.

Flavia BonfadiniInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Laura PaplauskaiteInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Michelle HughesInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Ruimin MaDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Mark KennedyDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: There are currently more than 750 million women worldwide aged 40-60 years, the age during which the majority undergo menopausal transition. This period is often marked by challenging symptoms that affect physical and mental health, productivity, and quality of life, sometimes becoming severe enough to compromise personal and professional relationships. A substantial proportion of women experience mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression and cognitive complaints. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown promising results in alleviating menopausal symptoms and represent a safe, self-managing alternative or complement to pharmacological treatments. Objectives: To consolidate and review the current state of the literature on the effectiveness of MBIs for mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and cognitive function in women undergoing natural menopause. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. It included randomized and non-randomized controlled trials of MBIs in women undergoing natural menopause. The outcomes of interest were mental health, including anxiety, depression, and cognitive function. Databases searched included PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Web of Science. Searches were performed up to October 2025. Reference lists and specialist journals were also hand searched. The methodological quality and risk of bias of the included studies were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 (RoB 2) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). An exploratory random-effects meta-analysis was conducted where measurement consistency permitted. Results: Ten studies (eight randomized controlled trials and two quasi-experimental designs), including a total of 1,270 participants, met the inclusion criteria. Six studies assessed psychosocial quality of life using the MENQOL Psychosocial Domain, enabling meta-analysis; a large pooled effect favoured MBIs (Hedges' Conclusions: Preliminary evidence suggests mindfulness-based interventions may improve mental health symptoms during natural menopause. The discrepancy between composite psychosocial effects and standalone mood effects may reflect measurement differences between menopause-specific and generic instruments, or suggest that cognitive complaints contribute to the observed benefits. However, substantial methodological limitations temper confidence in these findings. Future research should prioritise validated cognitive assessment as an independent outcome, investigation of practice dose required to maintain benefits, and comparative effectiveness trials against established treatments.

Indexed as

anxietycognitive healthdepressionmenopausemental healthmindfulness

Identifiers

PMID42500115
PMCPMC13396212

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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 Socratic graph.