Compassionate hearts protect against wandering minds: Self-compassion moderates the effect of mind-wandering on depression.
Jonathan Greenberg, Tanya Datta, Benjamin G. Shapero, Gunes Sevinc, David Mischoulon, Sara W. Lazar
Spirituality in Clinical Practice August 2, 2018 DOI: 10.1037/scp0000168 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Depressed sample |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation Depression |
| Keywords | Self-compassion Moderation Clinical psychology Mind-wandering Depression economics Rumination Depressive symptoms Psychotherapist Cognition |
| Citations | 37 |
| Key findings | Self-compassion protects against the deleterious effects of mind-wandering on depressive symptoms in depressed individuals, and MBCT increases self-compassion and reduces mind-wandering. |
Abstract
Depression is associated with high levels of mind-wandering and low levels of self-compassion. However, little is known about whether and how these two factors interact with one another to influence depressive symptoms. The current study examined the interaction between mind-wandering, self-compassion and depressive symptoms in a depressed sample and tested the effects of an eight-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program on these constructs. At baseline, mind-wandering was associated with higher depressive symptoms only among individuals with low self-compassion. Self-compassion additionally predicted depressive improvement. As expected, MBCT increased self-compassion and reduced mind-wandering compared to a treatment-as-usual control group. Overall, longitudinal changes in self-compassion produced a moderation effect similar to the one at baseline so that increases in mind-wandering were associated with increases in depressive symptoms only among those who decreased in self-compassion. Results provide the first evidence that self-compassion can protect against the deleterious effects of mind-wandering among depressed participants, both at baseline and longitudinally. Findings also suggest that self-compassion is an effective predictor of depressive improvement. Finally, MBCT is effective not only at reducing depressive symptoms, but also at targeting protective and risk factors associated with depression.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Self-Compassion and Psychological Health Among Young Adults With a History of Childhood Maltreatment Frontiers in Psychology October 23, 2019
- The brief mind wandering three-factor scale (BMW-3) October 16, 2023
- Emotional indicators of university students: a quasi-experimental pilot study with Hatha-Yoga. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem 2025
- Does the Mindful Mind Wander? The Underlying Role of Self-compassion and Grit Research Square August 21, 2023
- How do college student-athletes’ understanding and expectations of mindfulness and self-compassion change through an intervention? 2023
and 8 more in the library
Cites 17
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry. FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry January 24, 2018
- Pilot Study of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Trainee Clinical Psychologists Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy December 13, 2010
and 12 more in the library