Mindfulness Meditation for Anxiety Disorders: Good Alternative to Medication?

Anxiety disorders are commonly seen in primary care and can affect the presentation and course of common medical illnesses. In this 8-week, multicenter, randomized U.S. trial, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) was compared with escitalopram (10–20 mg daily) in 276 patients with generalized, social, and panic anxiety. MBSR consisted of weekly 2.5-hour classes focused on meditative breathing, body awareness, and mindful movement, with daily home practice.

Both treatments lowered baseline anxiety from the marked range to the mild range, with no significant difference between treatments. On a 7-point anxiety-severity scale, average scores decreased from about 4.5 to 2.9 points in both groups at 24 weeks. Adverse effects (e.g., headache, …