Compassion-Based Meditation in African Americans: Self-Criticism Mediates Changes in Depression.
Suzanne B Johnson, Bradley L Goodnight, Huaiyu Zhang, Irene Daboin, Bobbi Patterson, Nadine J Kaslow
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior April 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12347 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 59 |
| Population | Low-income African American men and women who had recently attempted suicide |
| Intervention | Support group |
| Duration | Pre- to posttreatment |
| Measures | Levels of Self-Criticism Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II |
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Key findings | Compassion meditation reduced self-criticism more than a support group, and changes in self-criticism fully mediated the reduction in depressive symptoms. |
Abstract
This study examines self-criticism as a mechanism through which compassion meditation reduces depressive symptoms in low-income African American men and women (N = 59) who had recently attempted suicide. After completing several measures, including the Levels of Self-Criticism Scale and Beck Depression Inventory-II, participants were randomly assigned to receive either a six-session compassion meditation (CM) group (Grady Compassion and Meditation Program) or a six-session support group. As predicted, path analysis results showed that treatment condition led to changes in self-criticism from pre- to posttreatment, with those receiving CM showing greater reductions in levels of self-criticism than those randomized to the support group. Path analyses also revealed that changes in self-criticism fully mediated the link between condition and changes in depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance and value of targeting levels of self-criticism in compassion-based interventions to reduce the depressive symptoms of suicidal African Americans.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on depression, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Compassion and Loving-Kindness Meditation: An Overview and Prospects for the Application in Clinical Samples Harvard Review of Psychiatry July 1, 2018
- A Digital Music-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Black Americans With Elevated Race-Based Anxiety: A Multiple-Baseline Pilot Study. JMIR Formative Research August 16, 2023
- iRest™ Meditation Webinar Series Addresses Depression Symptoms in Older Adults OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine January 7, 2026
- Change of self-schemas following mindfulness-based compassionate living for recurrent depression: A qualitative study. Acta Psychologica June 15, 2026
- A Digital Music-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Black Americans With Elevated Race-Based Anxiety: A Multiple-Baseline Pilot Study (Preprint)
Cites 4
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