Health Benefits of (Mindful) Self-Compassion Meditation and the Potential Complementarity to Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Review of Randomized-Controlled Trials
OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine August 20, 2018 Selma A. Quist Møller, Sohrab Sami, S. Shapiro
A systematic review of randomized-controlled trials found that self-compassion-based interventions (SCBIs) produce psychological and clinical improvements across several outcomes and populations, particularly in females. Significant gains included increased self-compassion and body satisfaction among non-clinical female participants and clinical improvements in people with diabetes, binge-eating disorder, and schizophrenia. One study combining SCBIs with mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in an all-female sample with overweight and obesity showed significantly increased quality of life and reduced psychopathological symptoms. However, evidence remains preliminary; more rigorous trials are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about health benefits or the value of SCBIs as adjuncts to MBIs.