Mindfulness in Psychosocial Research: An Integrative Literature Review of What is Studied and How

An integrative review of 109 papers on mindfulness from a social-psychological perspective found that most research focuses on well-being, social relationships, health, and organizations. Only 21 references were grounded in theory, with 42% of those being social psychology theories. Studies were mostly correlational (46%) or experimental (47%) and used quantitative methods. Mindfulness effects were primarily beneficial, emphasizing emotion regulation and stress management at individual and interpersonal levels, while group or ideological contexts received less attention. The review argues that research predominantly uses Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic samples, often ignoring socioeconomic backgrounds, and adopts a positivist, micro-level focus that overlooks broader macro-social dimensions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In the mindfulness field, reviews of its clinical effects prevail, along with critical articles on its applications serving neoliberalism. Conversely, less is known of the psychosocial perspective on mindfulness. To address this question, knowledge needs to be gathered on the applied fields and research topics, theoretical frameworks, study designs and methodologies mobilized, main results and levels of explanation in social psychology. We conducted an integrative review of the literature in February 2022, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses methodology using PsychInfo/PsychArticles. One hundred and nine papers met the inclusion criteria. Applied fields encompass well-being, daily social relationships, health and organizations. Only 21 references were embedded in theories. Forty-two percent of the theories were identified as social psychology theories. Most studies were correlational (46%) or experimental (47%) with quantitative methods. The effects of mindfulness are primarily beneficial, with a strong focus on emotion regulation and stress management at both intra- and inter-individual levels, while less attention is given to group or ideological contexts. We argue that research on mindfulness is predominantly conducted using Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic samples, often without considering participants' socio-economic backgrounds. Additionally, the prevailing psychosocial perspective on mindfulness tends to adopt a positivist epistemology, largely situated within micro-level contexts, while overlooking the broader macro-social dimensions of human experience.