Meditation vs mindfulness — is there a difference in the evidence?

The distinction that actually matters here is structure, not the words themselves. "Meditation" on Vitaebase covers general practice, which a 2014 JAMA Internal Medicine meta-analysis found has moderate evidence for stress, anxiety and depression symptoms — real but modest effects. "Mindfulness" specifically refers to structured clinical programs (MBSR, MBCT), and their best evidence is notably stronger: an individual-patient-data meta-analysis in JAMA Psychiatry found mindfulness-based cognitive therapy prevents depression relapse about as effectively as staying on maintenance antidepressants — one of the more rigorous findings in this entire field. If you're meditating informally for general stress relief, either approach has support. If you're managing a specific condition like recurring depression, the structured mindfulness programs have the stronger, more clinically-tested case.