I think there's a lot we don't know about human psychology, the brain and self-help practices, but I haven't seen convincing evidence that meditation works.
This 2017 publication sums it up nicely: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691617709589
In fact the paper acknowledges instances of meditation-induced adverse effects; if meditation didn't do anything at all, why would anyone experience even adverse effects? Clearly meditation does have effects.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=mindfulness+meditation
It seems to be a staple for therapists and psychologists to improve emotional intelligence. It gives you clarity about what you're feeling, why you're feeling it, and what you're going to feel soon. From there it can be used for a whole host of other maladies: addictions, anxiety, depression, etc.
"works" to what end?