A comparison of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and compassion cultivation training (CCT) for improving the quality of life of primary care professionals in Mallorca found that both programs improved mindfulness, empathy, self-compassion, and professional quality of life. MBSR was more effective than CCT for two mindfulness dimensions—acting with awareness and non-reacting to inner experience—and for reducing burnout. The study involved 50 professionals, 81% of whom were women.
Mindfulness relates to lower depression and anxiety both directly and indirectly through emotional regulation. In an international non-clinical sample of 1151 adults (meditators and non-meditators), worry, rumination, reappraisal, and suppression mediated the link between mindfulness and depression; for anxiety, suppression was not a mediator. The estimated hours of mindfulness meditation practice did not directly affect depression or anxiety but reduced them indirectly by increasing mindfulness. Worry and rumination were the strongest mediators. The findings suggest that meditation focused on reducing worry and rumination may help lower the risk of clinical depression.