A Meta-analysis published in the Jan. 6 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine (JAMAIntern Med. Published online January 06, 2014.) showed that meditation for about 30 minutes a day was effective in improving anxiety and depression symptoms. “Despite being used by many people, meditation is still not a mainstream treatment for any disorder.” noted study first author Associate Professor Madhav Goyal of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the United States. “But in our study, meditation had a similar effectiveness to antidepressants.” The researchers included information from 47 clinical trials and 3,515 individuals. These individuals had clinical conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, substance abuse, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and chronic pain, and underwent an eight-week meditation session. The researchers obtained moderate-strength evidence of improvement in anxiety, depression, and pain symptoms, as well as low-strength evidence of improvement in stress and quality of life. There was no clear evidence that meditation improved other aspects of symptoms. The aforementioned efficacy of meditation persisted over a 6-month follow-up period. The researchers did not find evidence that meditation was harmful. Of the many forms of meditation, mindfulness meditation has the greatest potential and usually requires 30-40 minutes of daily practice. It emphasizes acceptance of feelings, non-judgment and relaxation of the mind and body.