Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators
Ruth A. Baer, Emily L. B. Lykins, Jessica R. Peters
The Journal of Positive Psychology April 11, 2012 DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2012.674548 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 152 |
| Population | Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Self-compassion Clinical psychology Mindfulness meditation Well-being Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 391 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness and self-compassion together fully account for the relationship between meditation experience and psychological wellbeing. |
Abstract
Mindfulness training has well-documented effects on psychological health. Recent findings suggest that increases in both mindfulness and self-compassion may mediate these outcomes; however, their separate and combined effects are rarely examined in the same participants. This study investigated cross-sectional relationships between self-reported mindfulness, self-compassion, meditation experience, and psychological wellbeing in 77 experienced meditators and 75 demographically matched nonmeditators. Most mindfulness and self-compassion scores were significantly correlated with meditation experience and psychological wellbeing. Mindfulness and self-compassion accounted for significant independent variance in wellbeing. A significant relationship between meditation experience and wellbeing was completely accounted for by a combination of mindfulness and self-compassion scores. Findings suggest that both mindfulness and self-compassion skills may play important roles in the improved wellbeing associated with mindfulness training; however, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.