Here’s How Mindfulness Is More Effective Than Drugs For Both Depression And Anxiety

We all know approximately what meditation is, but what exactly is mindful meditation? Mindful meditation is a form of intentional, focused meditation in which you focus on the current thoughts you’re having and sensations you’re experiencing. And according to a new study published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, this type of meditation is more effective at relieving anxiety and depression that common medications.

D. Madhav Goyal of the John Hopkins School of Medicine led the study published in JAMA and definitively singled out mindful meditation as the most effective treatment.

Slide header

Slide header

“It doesn’t surprise me at all that mindfulness performs as well as or better than medication,” says Adrian Wells, professor of psychopathology at Manchester University and a adviser to the charity Anxiety UK. “In the group work that I’ve done with sufferers of anxiety or depression, I’ve found it very beneficial because it calms the mind. It’s not a new thing.”

It most certainly isn’t a new thing. Mindful meditation has been practiced for 2,500 years by various people, mainly of the Buddhist faith. It’s entry into western culture has been gradual, but it has been accelerating.