A growing body of research supports the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in incarcerated populations; however, treatment effectiveness remains unclear. This meta-analysis of 22 studies ( N = 2,265, 75% male) quantified the effectiveness of MBIs in incarcerated populations on key psychological outcomes and criminogenic needs. Results from pre–post studies indicated MBIs had a small to moderate effect on all outcomes, but this was not supported by controlled studies. Studies with older participants, more females, and longer treatment length demonstrated slightly greater effects. Results from pre–post analyses demonstrated significant reductions in psychological outcomes (depression, anxiety, and stress) and criminogenic needs (impulsivity, self-dysregulation, anger, substance use behavior, and attitude). However, only depression and anxiety were significantly reduced in controlled studies. Although findings offer preliminary support of the efficacy of MBIs in targeting psychological health in incarcerated populations, further controlled studies are required to examine criminogenic outcomes and recidivism rates after treatment.

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are increasingly used to reduce parental stress and to enhance dyadic interactions between parents and children. Prior reviews examining the effects of MPBs for parents have assessed restricted target populations, limited outcomes measures, and have relied on uncontrolled studies. This systematic and meta-analytic review quantified the efficacy of MBPs for parents using comprehensive intrapersonal and interpersonal outcome measures and methodologically robust studies. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effect of MBPs on parents were identified, data were extracted, and assessed for risk of bias by two independent reviewers. Twenty studies (n = 1003) were included in the analyses. Programs had moderate effects for general stress (Hedge's g = 0.410), internalizing psychological symptoms (Hedge's g = 0.519), and well-being (Hedge's g = 0.588). Small-to-moderate effects were observed for combined mindfulness (Hedge's g = 0.295), parenting stress (Hedge's g = 0.284), and parenting behavior (Hedge's g = 0.299). Effects were not significant for parental interactions with children, marital outcomes, self-compassion, emotion regulation, general mindfulness, and mindful parenting. Subgroup analyses revealed that populations with medical conditions (Hedge's g = 1.203) benefited more from MBPs compared to populations with psychological symptoms (Hedge's g = 0.452). Furthermore, parents showed greater improvement on well-being when both parents and children engaged in mindfulness training (Hedge's g = 0.838) compared to parents alone (Hedge's g = 0.700). Results support the efficacy of MBPs in improving intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes for parents. Diversity within the programs may contribute towards non-significant changes in general mindfulness and mindful parenting. Future studies should use standardized mindfulness-based parenting programs to enhance methodological rigor.

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Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective in treating several psychological difficulties, to date, no review has systematically examined their effectiveness in treating or preventing suicide. The goals of the present study were to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of MBIs in treating suicide and (2) understand how individual characteristics and characteristics of MBIs influence treatment outcomes through a systematic meta-analysis. A search of PubMed, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses was conducted in February 2019. A total of 12 publications (13 studies, n = 627) were included.MBIs demonstrated significant moderate effects on suicidal ideation in pre-post studies and small effects in controlled studies. In addition, MBIs demonstrated significant moderate effects in both samples of individuals with histories of depression and histories of suicidal ideation or attempts. Moreover, MBIs led to clinically significant reductions in suicidal ideation and depression. Female participants, older samples, and longer treatments showed greater treatment effects, although these relationships were weak. Results suggest that MBIs may be promising treatments for suicidal ideation; however, more research is needed to establish the effects of these treatments as well as the mechanisms through which MBIs reduce suicide.

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Forensic inpatients (i. e., individuals found not responsible for a criminal offense on account of mental illness) represent an often marginalized and difficult-to-treat population. This has led to the need for research exploring the effectiveness of novel interventions. A Canadian forensic hospital has developed an 8-weeks mindfulness and yoga training program (MTP). This pilot study examined the potential effects of this program on patients' mindfulness, stress, and use of cognitive and emotion regulation strategies. A sample of 13 forensic inpatients (male = 92%) participating in the MTP program completed self-report measures assessing dispositional mindfulness, perceived stress, and use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies at baseline, post-intervention, and a 3-months follow-up. Repeated measure ANOVAs found a significant increase in the describe facet of mindfulness (p = 0.03) with a large effect size (ηp2 = 0.26) and a significant decrease in stress (p = 0.003) with a large effect size (ηp2 = 0.39). Pairwise comparisons revealed medium to large significant changes between baseline and post-intervention for both the describe facet (p = 0.03, Hedge's g = 0.55) and stress (p = 0.003, Hedge's g = 0.70). However, comparisons were insignificant between baseline and follow-up. No significant main effects were found on the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. This pilot study offers preliminary support for the use of the MTP as an adjunctive therapy in forensic inpatient treatment. Further investigation is needed into the long-term impacts of this training.

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