Fostering Self‐Compassion and Loving‐Kindness in Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Randomized Pilot Study
Albert Feliu-Soler, Juan Carlos Pascual, Matilde Elices, Ana Martín‐Blanco, Cristina Carmona, Ausiàs Cebolla, Vicente M. Simón, Joaquim Soler
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy January 28, 2016 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2000 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with borderline personality disorder |
| Interventions | loving-kindness and compassion meditation mindfulness continuation training |
| Duration | 3-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Self-compassion Borderline personality disorder Kindness Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Randomized controlled trial Psychoanalysis |
| Citations | 131 |
| Key points | Three weeks of loving-kindness and compassion meditation increased acceptance and improved borderline symptoms, self-criticism, and self-kindness in patients with borderline personality disorder. |
Abstract
The aim of this randomized pilot study is to investigate the effects of a short training programme in loving-kindness and compassion meditation (LKM/CM) in patients with borderline personality disorder. Patients were allocated to LKM/CM or mindfulness continuation training (control group). Patients in the LKM/CM group showed greater changes in Acceptance compared with the control group. Remarkable changes in borderline symptomatology, self-criticism and self-kindness were also observed in the LKM/CM group. Mechanistic explanations and therapeutic implications of the findings are discussed. HIGHLIGHTS: Three weeks of loving-kindness and compassion meditations increased acceptance of the present-moment experience in patients with borderline personality disorder. Significant improvements in the severity of borderline symptoms, self-criticism, mindfulness, acceptance and self-kindness were observed after the LKM/CM intervention. LKM/CM is a promising complementary strategy for inclusion in mindfulness-based interventions and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy for treating core symptoms in borderline personality disorder. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 20
- Compassion and Loving-Kindness Meditation: An Overview and Prospects for the Application in Clinical Samples Harvard Review of Psychiatry July 1, 2018
- Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Potential Synergies Mindfulness September 1, 2023
- Mindfulness-based interventions: what more can the West learn from Buddhism? A fieldwork study. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Mindfulness-based intervention reduce interference of negative stimuli to working memory in individuals with subclinical depression: A randomized controlled fMRI study. International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP 2024
- Neural correlates of reduction in self-judgment after mindful self-compassion training: A pilot study with resting state fMRI. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders March 1, 2025
and 15 more in the library
Cites 6
- Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review July 26, 2011
- Compassion meditation enhances empathic accuracy and related neural activity Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience September 5, 2012
- Relationship between meditative practice and self-reported mindfulness: the MINDSENS composite index. PLoS One January 22, 2014
- Validation of the Spanish versions of the long (26 items) and short (12 items) forms of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Health and Quality of Life Outcomes January 10, 2014
- A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self-compassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology October 15, 2012
and 1 more in the library