Mindfulness & Compassion
Research Evidence

The Mindfulness Research 

‘There is a significant body of scientific evidence over the last 40 years by some of the most well respected universities and institutions outlining the benefits of mindfulness practices. More research is always required, and as with anything, we should be wary of catchy headlines which promise immediate and guaranteed results’ (Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland).

Here is a flavour: MTAI Research collection, and for a timeline and links to papers click here: The Science of Mindfulness.
For a quick overview, read on….

Overview of Mindfulness Research

Since MBSR was first developed in 1979 it has served as fertile ground for a systematic set of research investigations in collaboration with one of the founders of the field of neuroscience, Dr Richard Davidson (University of Wisconsin). MBSR has become the gold-standard for research into mindfulness-based interventions. 

Stress & Anxiety

A 2018 review of 23 studies looking at the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on employee burnout found that 8 weeks of mindfulness training reduced stress, psychological distress, depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion and occupational stress, and increased self-compassion, relaxation, sleep quality, and a feeling of personal accomplishment.
Meta-analysis of 23 studies (2019) examining the benefits of mindfulness-based programs in the workplace found that following training, employees felt less stress, anxiety and psychological distress, and experienced greater overall well-being and sleep quality. Links between mindfulness training and other dimensions of work life, such as employee performance, leadership skill, and good decision-making were inconclusive.

Depression

Back in 1992, an eight-week program (called MBCT) very closely modelled on MBSR was created for those with recurrent depression. In 2002, the landmark book Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse,  was published. MBCT’s credibility rests firmly on the past and ongoing research. Chief among them are two randomized clinical trials (published in 2000 and 2008 in The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology) indicating MBCT reduces rates of relapse by 50% among patients who suffer from recurrent depression. Recent findings, published in
The Lancet, show combining a tapering of medication with MBCT is as effective as an ongoing maintenance dosage of medication.

 

Compassion Research

  • Self-Compassion research is easily accessible here. Follow a link below for a in-depth review, or scroll down further for an overview.

Overview of Compassion Research

For an overview, read Neff & Germer’s extensive literature review below  (or Access PDF to the full RCT study).

A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion program. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28-44.

Mindfulness and self-compassion are basic human capacities that can be cultivated to support well-being and reduce suffering. Extensive research has shown that self-compassion enhances our emotional wellbeing and deepens our emotional strength. Individuals who are self-compassionate demonstrate better psychological health than those who lack self-compassion (lower levels of stress, anxiety, depression, rumination, fear of failure and greater life satisfaction; greater levels of coping, relationship functioning, and healthier diet and exercise regimes).

↓ Lower Levels of Stress

↓ Stress Hormone (Cortisol Levels)

↓ Anxiety

↓ Depression

↓ Rumination

↓ Perfectionism

↓ Fear of Failure

↑ Psychological Health

↑ Emotional Wellbeing

↑ Emotional Strength

↑ Emotional Intelligence

↑ Life Satisfaction

↑ Coping

↑ Relationship Functioning

↑ Initiative

↑ Perspective Taking

↑ Healthier Diet & Exercise Regimes

↑ Optimism

↑ Compassion for Others

 

Research indicates that individuals who are self-compassionate demonstrate better psychological health than those who lack self-compassion. For instance, greater self-compassion has consistently been found to predict lower levels of anxiety and depression (see Neff, 2012, for a review), which may be related to the finding that self-compassion tends to decrease cortisol and increase heart-rate variability (associated with the ability to self-soothe when stressed; Rockliff, Gilbert, McEwan, Lightman, & Glover, 2008). Greater self-compassion is also linked with less rumination, perfectionism, and fear of failure (Neff, 2003a; Neff, Hsieh, & Dejitterat, 2005).

At the same time, self-compassionate people are less likely to suppress unwanted thoughts and are more willing to acknowledge their negative emotions as valid and important (Leary et al., 2007; Neff, 2003a). Self-compassion is associated with positive psychological strengths such as happiness, optimism, wisdom, curiosity and exploration, personal initiative, and emotional intelligence (Heffernan, Griffin, McNulty, & Fitzpatrick, 2010; Hollis-Walker & Colosimo, 2011; Neff, Rude, & Kirkpatrick, 2007). Another strength of being self-compassionate is the ability to cope effectively with life stressors such as academic failure (Neff, Hseih, & Dejitthirat, 2005), divorce (Sbarra, Smith, & Mehl, 2012), childhood maltreatment (Vettese, Dyer, Li, & Wekerle, 2011), or chronic pain (Costa & Pinto-Gouveia, 2011). Self-compassionate individuals have been found to have improved relationship functioning (Neff & Beretvas, 2012; Yarnell & Neff, in press), and also report more empathetic concern, altruism, perspective taking, and forgiveness (Neff & Pommier, 2012). Self-compassion also promotes health-related behaviours such as sticking to one’s diet (Adams & Leary, 2007), reducing smoking (Kelly, Zuroff, Foa, & Gilbert, 2009), seeking medical treatment when needed (Terry & Leary, 2011), and exercising (Magnus, Kowalski, & McHugh, 2010).

MSC (Mindful Self Compassion Course) participation also resulted in a significantly greater increase in self-compassion as compared. In fact, the intervention group had a 1.13 point increase on the SCS (out of 5 possible), with a large effect size indicated (Cohen, 1988).

Mindfulness

MSC program significantly increased the mindfulness of participants with a medium effect size, not surprising because mindfulness is a foundational element of self-compassion and is explicitly taught in MSC. Note that MSC had a smaller effect on mindfulness than self-compassion, however, most likely reflecting the program’s primary emphasis on building self-compassion and secondary emphasis on teaching mindfulness.

Compassion for Others

MSC participants’ levels of compassion for others also significantly increased compared with controls, with a medium effect size indicated. This is consistent with Longe et al 's (2009) finding that intentionally cultivating self-compassion stimulates parts of the brain associated with compassion more generally.