Psychological and Physiological Effects of Compassionate Mind Training: a Pilot Randomised Controlled Study

Marcela Matos,Joana Duarte,Jaskaran Basran,Nicola Petrocchi,Paul Gilbert,Cristiana Duarte,José Pinto-Gouveia

doi:10.1007/s12671-017-0745-7

Marcela Matos, Joana Duarte + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0745-7

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Abstract

The development of the compassionate self, associated with practices such as slow and deeper breathing, compassionate voice tones and facial expressions and compassionate focusing, is central to Compassion-Focused Therapy. This study explores the impact of a 2-week compassionate mind training (CMT) program on emotional, self-evaluative and psychopathology measures and on heart rate variability (HRV). Participants (general population and college students) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: CMT (n = 56) and wait-list control (n = 37). Participants in the CMT condition were instructed to practice CMT exercises during 2 weeks. Self-report measures of compassion, positive affect, fears of compassion, self-criticism, shame, depression, anxiety and stress and HRV were collected at pre- and post-interventions in both conditions. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significant increases in positive emotions, associated with feeling relaxed and also safe and content, but not activated, and in self-compassion, compassion for others and compassion from others. There were significant reductions in shame, self-criticism, fears of compassion and stress. Only the experimental group reported significant improvement in HRV. Developing awareness of the evolved nature and inherent difficulties of our minds allied with practicing CMT exercises has beneficial effects on participants’ psychological and physiological well-being.

Highlights

Regarding the impact of Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) on the three orientations of compassion, there were significant main effects of time on compassion for self, compassion for others and compassion from others, and significant time x group interaction effects were found for compassion for self and compassion from others
This study explored the impact of a series of compassionate mind training practices over two weeks in a nonclinical population
Results showed that these practices significantly improved people’s experiences of compassion for themselves and of compassion from others, as measured by the newly developed Compassionate Attributes and Actions Scales (CAAS; Gilbert et al, 2017). Both the experimental and the control group increased in compassion for others resulting in a non-significant Time x Group effect

Summary

Introduction

The last 20 years has seen increasing research exploring the physical and psychological benefits of compassion and prosocial cultivation (Fredrickson, Cohn, Coffey, Pek, & Finkel, 2008; Hofmann, Grossman, & Hinton, 2011; Jazaieri et al, 2013; Keltner, Kogan, Piff, & Saturn, 2014; Kirby, 2016; Pace et al, 2009; Ricard, 2015; Schanche, Stiles, McCullough, Svartberg, & Nielsen, 2011; Singer & Bolz, 2012). The therapy focuses on helping people understand that the way the human brain has evolved makes us very vulnerable to rumination, negativity bias and selfcritical self-monitoring (Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, & Vohs, 2001; Gilbert, 2009). Such insights shift attention from blaming and shaming the self for these difficulties to how to work with them compassionately (Gilbert & Choden, 2013)

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