Hiroe Hu from the US National Institute of Mental Health and colleagues conducted clinical trials and concluded that the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation practices for various anxiety disorders is comparable to taking the antidepressant escitalopram. A secondary analysis of the TAME trials included 276 patients (average age 33 years; 75 percent women) with a clinically established diagnosis of agoraphobia, panic disorder, generalized or social anxiety disorder. Half of them underwent weekly training in the theory and practice of several types of mindfulness meditation, the rest were prescribed escitalopram at a dose of 10-20 milligrams per day. The degree of anxiety, depression and quality of life were assessed in a blinded manner using three patient questionnaires and three questionnaires from treating physicians. The results are published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The primary outcomes were assessed after eight weeks, with a total follow-up of 24 weeks. A significant reduction in anxiety symptoms was observed in both groups. No significant differences in treatment effectiveness were observed between the groups (Cohen's d ≤ 0.20). However, adverse effects were reported in 78.6 percent of participants taking escitalopram, compared to 15.4 percent of those practicing mindfulness (p < 0.001).
