This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Open AccessSystematic Review
Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review
by
Luca Simione
Luca Simione 1,2,*,
Alessandro Frolli
Alessandro Frolli 1,
Francesca Sciattella
Francesca Sciattella 2 and
Salvatore Gaetano Chiarella
Salvatore Gaetano Chiarella 3
1
Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche e Sociali Internazionali, Università degli Studi Internazionali, 00147 Rome, Italy
2
Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 00185 Rome, Italy
3
Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, 34136 Trieste, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(10), 1001; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14101001 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 19 August 2024
/
Revised: 22 September 2024
/
Accepted: 25 September 2024
/
Published: 30 September 2024
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have emerged in recent years as a strong candidate for the treatment of a range of difficulties faced by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including cognitive, emotional, and social aspects. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a review that systematically examined the efficacy of MBIs for individuals with ASD and their caregivers. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our literature search was conducted within the MEDLINE database. We included in the review only longitudinal or intervention studies focusing mainly on mindfulness principles, while we excluded mixed intervention studies. We only included studies that explicitly utilized quantitative methodologies for evaluating the outcomes of the interventions, including mental health indices (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) and assessments of cognitive and social skills (e.g., attention, prosociality). We conducted also a risk of bias assessment through the method of the Cochrane risk of bias tool for intervention studies ROBINS-I. Results: Thirty-seven studies were included in the review, and we grouped the studies by the targets of the interventions, i.e., adults (n = 12), children and adolescents (n = 9), caregivers and medical staff (n = 13), and combined intervention for both children/adolescents and their parents/caregivers (n 5). The reviewed papers seem to support the feasibility and utility of mindfulness interventions for persons with ASD and their caregivers, but any recommendations based on this body of evidence should be made with caution due to the overall low quality of the studies conducted so far. Conclusions: The review reveals a positive outcome, including the alleviation of psychological distress, reduced behavioral problems, and enhanced cognitive and social skills in individuals with ASD. Despite such promising results, the review notes a limitation in the scarcity of MBIs for young patients, emphasizing caution in universally endorsing the existing literature. Moreover, the results underline the urgency of the exploration of tailored interventions for different ASD subgroups, considering varying levels of autism, and expanding support to teachers in educational settings.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Simione, L.; Frolli, A.; Sciattella, F.; Chiarella, S.G.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review. Brain Sci. 2024, 14, 1001.
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14101001
AMA Style
Simione L, Frolli A, Sciattella F, Chiarella SG.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review. Brain Sciences. 2024; 14(10):1001.
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14101001
Chicago/Turabian Style
Simione, Luca, Alessandro Frolli, Francesca Sciattella, and Salvatore Gaetano Chiarella.
2024. "Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review" Brain Sciences 14, no. 10: 1001.
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14101001
Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details
here.
Article Metrics
Article Access Statistics
For more information on the journal statistics, click
here.
Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.