What is supported
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is recommended by NICE for preventing relapse in recurrent depression. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) improves chronic pain, anxiety and quality of life across multiple meta-analyses.
What is over-claimed
Casual app use rarely produces the effects seen in structured 8-week programmes. Mindfulness is not appropriate as a stand-alone treatment for severe depression, active psychosis, or untreated PTSD without clinical guidance.
How to start small
Five minutes a day, same time, same place, beats one 60-minute session a week. Use a timer, focus on the breath, return when the mind wanders — the returning is the practice, not the staying.