The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on social anxiety symptomatology in adults: A systematic review

Abstract Introduction/Objectives: Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is characterized by marked fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to the evaluation of others, the early manifestation of symptoms directly influences the future complications. Therefore, it is necessary to catalog effective interventions/treatments. The present study aims to conduct a systematic review regarding the effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) in treating social anxiety. Method: This is a systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) checklist for systematic reviews. Articles were searched in October 2023 using the following descriptors: ("social anxiety" OR "social anxiety disorder" OR "social phobia") AND (yoga OR mindfulness OR "mindful awareness" OR meditation) AND ("randomized controlled trial" OR "randomized controlled" OR "controlled clinical trial" OR randomized) in six electronic databases: PubMed Central, Embase, Scielo, Cochrane, PsycInfo, and Web of Science. Results: A total of 173 studies were identified, of which eight were included in the final analysis. Among the MBIs used, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was identified in most studies. Mindfulness has been increasingly disseminated and used as an intervention in the field of mental health. The study results indicate the effectiveness of MBIs in reducing social anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Finally, it is important for future studies to address research biases, as highlighted in the present review; some studies showed risk of bias in the randomization process and in the blinding of outcome assessments, as well as insufficient information.