well being

Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a
psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on
the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness,
differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how
mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of
empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and
various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented
interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects
of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings
about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological
symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion
on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.
© 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved