Mindfulness in Anorexia Nervosa: An Integrated Review of the Literature

Anorexia nervosa is a serious psychiatric illness with limited evidenced-based treatment options. Mindfulness appears useful in many conditions, but few studies focus on its use in individuals with anorexia nervosa.

To examine and summarize studies of mindfulness in individuals with anorexia nervosa and identify areas for future research.

An integrated review was conducted by searching health care computerized databases.

Results were mixed among the eight studies that met inclusion criteria. Multimodal mindfulness-based therapies appear effective, while brief interventions may be equally useful or result in greater anxiety compared to distraction. Qualitative data support that some participants feel mindfulness is challenging but beneficial.

Mindfulness as a concurrent part of therapy and/or when routinely practiced may be more clinically useful than single-episode mindful eating interventions. Due to the complexity of the concept of mindfulness and limited existing data, additional research is needed.