> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/research-and-evidence/mindfulness-and-anxiety.md). # Mindfulness and Anxiety What research can and cannot support about mindfulness for anxiety and worry. Mindfulness-based approaches have been studied for anxiety in adults and young people. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health summarises evidence suggesting that mindfulness-based approaches can help with anxiety in some populations, while also noting mixed results, uncertainty about long-term effects, and variation in study quality. [Read NCCIH: Anxiety and Complementary Health Approaches](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/anxiety-and-complementary-health-approaches) For children and adolescents, the evidence is more variable. Some reviews report small benefits, while others have found non-significant overall effects depending on the studies included and the comparison conditions. [Read a systematic review and meta-analysis in young people](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31287618/) ## THC interpretation Mindfulness can be taught as a skill for: * recognising anxious thoughts * noticing body sensations * grounding attention * reducing automatic reactivity * relating differently to uncertainty It should not be presented as a guaranteed treatment or replacement for professional care. Where anxiety is severe, persistent, worsening, or significantly interfering with school, work, relationships, sleep, or daily functioning, professional assessment may be appropriate. ## Related guidance * [Research & Evidence](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/research-and-evidence) * [Mindfulness in Schools](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/research-and-evidence/mindfulness-in-schools) * [Mindfulness and Sleep](https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/research-and-evidence/mindfulness-and-sleep) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://knowledge.theholisticcare.com/knowledge/research-and-evidence/mindfulness-and-anxiety.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.