Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent and most functionally impairing psychiatric
problems experienced by the population. Both pharmacological and psychological evidencebased
treatments exist for a number of specific disorders, but may fail to fully relieve symptoms,
pointing to the need for additional treatment options. Often considered to be part of the “third wave”
of cognitive-behavioral therapies, treatments incorporating mindfulness have emerged in the past
two decades as increasingly popular with clinicians and frequently sought out by consumers. The
present article reviews the extant literature regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of mindfulnessbased
treatments for anxiety, worry, and related problems. Although they have not attained the solid
empirical status of CBT or certain pharmacological treatments, the extant research shows mindfulness-
based interventions appear to be a promising and useful treatment for people suffering from
anxiety and worry. Further work should be done, levels 3-5 of the NIH stage model to determine
whether or not they should be further implemented.
“Third‐wave” cognitive and behavioral therapies and the emergence of a process‐based approach to intervention in psychiatry
