Evaluating the Mindful Path to Compassion. ID:156932
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Mindful Path to Compassion: Evaluating the outcomes and patients satisfaction in an adult transdiagnostic group.
IRAS ID
156932
Contact name
Nicola Cogan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Lanarkshire
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
CSS/SOE/2013/113, University of Glasgow Ethics Committee
Research summary
Multiple third wave therapies such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT; Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002) and Mindful-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR; Kabat-Zinn, 1990), aim to increase the levels of mindfulness, a trait derived from the Buddhist tradition that is associated with higher levels of conscientiousness, optimism, and self-esteem and lower levels of depression, rumination, and neuroticism, amongst others (Keng, Smoski, & Robins, 2011). Preliminary results for MBCT have been promising, whilst the majority of the data focuses on MBCT in regards to treating recurring Major Depressive Disorder (see Chiesa & Serretti, 2011; and Piet & Hougaard, 2011, for a review), it has also shown good results in Anxiety (Evans et al., 2008; Finucane & Mercer, 2006), Bipolar Disorder (Miklowitz et al., 2009; Williams et al., 2008), Eating Disorder (Alberts, Thewissen, & Raes, 2012), PTSD (King et al., 2013), OCD (Hertenstein et al., 2012), and Chronic Fatigue (Rimes & Wingrove, 2013; Surawy, Roberts, & Silver, 2005). However, it has been suggested that another trait in Buddhism, compassion, specifically self-compassion, is increased in these therapies and is the actual driving force behind their therapeutic effect (Baer, 2010; Kuyken et al., 2010). Neff and Germer (2013) aimed to build off these findings by constructing a therapy, Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), that focuses primarily on increasing the levels of self-compassion for the purpose of improving psychological well being (Neff & Germer, 2013). Preliminary results have been promising with positive effects lasting to the one-year follow up. However, this pilot study did not examine the effectiveness of this therapy in a clinical population. A study that does aim to address this and see if such positive results can be replicated would be prudent, if self-compassion is the underlying mechanism to multiple third wave therapies, then creating an effective way of increasing its levels may result in good results in psychological disorders.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/YH/1013
Date of REC Opinion
30 May 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion