Abstract
Objectives: Accumulating evidence from the last two decades suggests self-compassion is central to psychological well-being and reduced psychopathology symptoms. Loving-kindness meditations (LKMs), a mindfulness practice that involves sending feelings of kindness to oneself, loved ones, and all beings, may increase feelings of self-compassion. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the effect of LKMs on self-compassion in adults. Methods: Peer-reviewed journal articles and dissertations written in English with adult samples, quantitative analysis of a LKM, and measured self-compassion using the Self-Compassion Scale were included in the meta-analysis. Seven articles met inclusion criteria following a systematic search. Results: We found a moderate overall effect of LKMs on self-compassion (g = 0.44, p < 0.0001), indicating LKMs are effective at increasing self-compassion in adults. Conclusions: Self-compassion can be increased in adults using LKMs. Given the role of self-compassion in well-being, future research should test increasing self-compassion as a mechanism of the effect of LKMs on psychological health.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2299-2310 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Mindfulness |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Keywords
- Intervention
- Loving-kindness meditation
- Meta-analysis
- Self-compassion