Meditation buffers medical student compassion from the deleterious effects of depression.
Jennifer S Mascaro, Sean Kelley, Alana Darcher et al.
A training program called cognitively-based compassion training (CBCT) can increase compassion and reduce loneliness and depression in second-year medical students. Students who received CBCT reported greater compassion compared to those on a wait-list, and the boost in compassion was strongest among those who began with high levels of depression, suggesting the training may help break the connection between personal distress and reduced compassion for others.