Caring for patients with various conditions is demanding and stressful and can have a negative impact on both physical and psychological health. This paper reports a systematic review and critical appraisal of the evidence on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction for the family caregivers of patients with various conditions. There were improvements in the self-rated psychological symptoms, such as stress, depression, anxiety and mindfulness. To conclude, mindfulness-based stress reduction, as a safe and transportable approach, has potential to improve the psychological symptoms in the caregivers of patients with various conditions.