Loving-kindness meditation (LKM), a practice aimed at cultivating unconditional kindness toward oneself and others, was tested as a brief group intervention for people with dysthymia or depression in two small, uncontrolled studies—one in Boston (10 participants) and one in Frankfurt (8 participants). At both centers, LKM was associated with large reductions in self-reported depression symptoms and negative affect, and large increases in positive affect. Clinician ratings also showed large improvements in depression, rumination, and specific positive emotions, with moderate gains in adaptive emotion regulation. Qualitative reports supported the intervention's potential. These proof-of-concept results warrant further controlled investigation.
A 12-week group program combining mindfulness exercises from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with compassion exercises from Compassion Focused Therapy and Loving Kindness Meditation reduced depression severity in 11 patients with chronic depression. Symptoms did not change during a 3-month waiting period but significantly decreased after treatment and further improved at a 3-month follow-up, with nearly large effect sizes. Emotion regulation improved, with increased acceptance and decreased suppression of emotions, and rumination about oneself also decreased at follow-up. Compassionate love and mindfulness increased, while no effects were found on self-compassion or self-esteem. The approach may improve treatment options for chronic depression if confirmed by further studies.