Mindfulness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion Among Health Care Professionals: What's New? A Systematic Review
Ciro Conversano, Rebecca Ciacchini, Graziella Orrù, M. di Giuseppe, Angelo Gemignani, Andrea Poli
Frontiers in Psychology July 31, 2020 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01683 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Cross-sectional Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 58 |
| Population | Health care professionals (HCPs) |
| Interventions | MBSR mindfulness-related trainings compassion-related interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | MBSR and mindfulness-related interventions improved mindfulness and self-compassion in HCPs, with MBSR also reducing burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress, but mindfulness-related trainings did not improve compassion fatigue. |
Abstract
Health care professionals (HCPs) are a population at risk for high levels of burnout and compassion fatigue. The aim of the present systematic review was to give an overview on recent literature about mindfulness and compassion characteristics of HCPs, while exploring the effectiveness of techniques, involving the two aspects, such as MBSR or mindfulness intervention and compassion fatigue-related programs. A search of databases, including PubMed and PsycINFO, was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the methodological quality for this systematic review was appraised using AMSTAR-2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews-2). The number of articles that met the inclusion criteria was 58 (4 RCTs, 24 studies with pre-post measurements, 12 cross-sectional studies, 11 cohort studies and 7 qualitative studies). MBSR intervention was effective at improving, and maintaining, mindfulness and self-compassion levels and to improve burnout, depression, anxiety, stress. The most frequently employed interventional strategies were mindfulness-related trainings that were effective at improving mindfulness and self-compassion, but not compassion fatigue, levels. Compassion-related interventions have been shown to improve self-compassion, mindfulness and interpersonal conflict levels. Mindfulness was effective at improving negative affect and compassion fatigue, while compassion satisfaction may be related to cultivation of positive affect. This systematic review summarized the evidence regarding mindfulness- and compassion-related qualities of HCPs as well as potential effects of MBSR, mindfulness-related and compassion-related interventions on professionals' psychological variables like mindfulness, self-compassion and quality of life. Combining structured mindfulness and compassion cultivation trainings may enhance the effects of interventions, limit the variability of intervention protocols and improve data comparability of future research.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 40
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- A Systematic Review of a Polyvagal Perspective on Embodied Contemplative Practices as Promoters of Cardiorespiratory Coupling and Traumatic Stress Recovery for PTSD and OCD: Research Methodologies and State of the Art International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health November 1, 2021
- Participation in Online Mindfulness was Associated with Improved Self-Compassion and Prosocial Attitudes Mindfulness July 1, 2023
- Improving psychological well‐being among healthcare workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic with an online mindfulness intervention: A randomised waitlist‐controlled trial International Journal of Psychology February 14, 2024
- The Effects of Loving-Kindness Meditation Guided by Short Video Apps on Policemen's Mindfulness, Public Service Motivation, Conflict Resolution Skills, and Communication Skills. Behavioral Sciences July 4, 2025
and 35 more in the library
Cites 46
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- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology March 29, 2012
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Health Care Professionals: Results From a Randomized Trial. International Journal of Stress Management May 1, 2005
and 41 more in the library