Theoretical foundations for application of mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions in suicide prevention.
Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s40501-026-00395-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | compassion-based interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Suicide prevention Mind-body Psychosocial interventions Scalability |
| Key points | Argues that mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions address common psychological risk factors for suicide and, based on accumulating meditation research and emerging outpatient and inpatient data, are safe, feasible, accessible, and cost-effective. Proposes that trauma-sensitive programs built on these approaches are a promising, scalable direction for suicide prevention across multiple sectors. |
Abstract
Suicidality is a devastating public health problem, yet effective interventions are still lacking. This commentary outlines the theoretical foundations for applying mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions for suicide prevention, through explaining how the therapeutic elements of these interventions address common psychological risk factors for suicide. Accumulating research data from the meditation research literature points to the safety, feasibility, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness- and compassion-based intervention programs. Emerging data on their application to suicide prevention in outpatient as well as inpatient settings has demonstrated the safety and feasibility of these programs. Developing trauma-sensitive suicide prevention programs based on mindfulness and compassion is a promising direction for clinical innovations. Based on the potentials demonstrated from emerging research data, it is possible to develop mindfulness- or compassion-based intervention programs that are versatile, scalable, cost-effective and easily accessible across multiple sectors of suicide prevention.
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