Mental health

Decades of research has shown that practicing compassion for others and yourself can help relieve depression, heal trauma, and reduce anxiety and stress. It helps people to connect more with others, build resilience, and increases happiness and life satisfaction.

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KEY PAPERS

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Mental health

Regular practice of meditation could reduce risk factors of Alzheimer

The protective effect of mindfulness and compassion meditation practices on ageing: Hypothesis, mechanistic model, and experimental implementation

Lutz, A., Chételat, G., Collette, F., Klimecki, O., Marchant, N., & Gonneaud, J.

People with ADHD may benefit from developing greater resilience to the high levels of criticism and negative treatment they receive

Self-compassion and Perceived Criticism in Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Beaton, D.M., Sirois, F. & Milne, E.

One day of compassion training compared with memory training shows an increase in positive moods

Functional neural plasticity and associated changes in positive affect after compassion training

Klimecki, O. M., Leiberg, S., Lamm, C., & Singer, T.

When compassion is cultivated, there is healing, responsiveness, and development of behaviors that reduce depression recurrences and build a person’s resilience.

Compassion in the landscape of suffering

2011Feldman, C., & Kuyken, W.Contemporary Buddhism: An Interdisciplinary Journal

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy enhances mindfulness and self-compassion.

How does mindfulness-based cognitive therapy work?

2010Kuyken, W., Watkins, E., Holden, E., White, K., Taylor, R. S., Byford, S., Evans, A., Radford, S., Teasdale, J. D., & Dalgleish, T.Behaviour Research and Therapy

Self-compassion is an emotionally positive self-attitude that protects against the negative consequences of self-judgment, isolation, and rumination

Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself

2003Neff, KSelf and Identity

Self-compassion boosts happiness, optimism, wisdom, personal initiative, curiosity and exploration, agreeableness, extroversion, and conscientiousness

An examination of self-compassion in relation to positive psychological functioning and personality traits

2007Neff, K., Rude, S., Kirkpatrick, KJournal of Research in Personality

Self-compassion is a productive way of approaching distressing thoughts and emotions that engenders mental and physical well-being

Self-Compassion: Theory, Method, Research, and Intervention

2023Neff, KAnnual Review of Psychology

The consequences of trauma seep across communities, regions, lands, and nations.

Healing Collective Trauma

2022Lynne Reeder & Talya GundoganCompassionate Ballarat

Self-compassion engagement and action mediate the relationships between negative and positive early emotional memories, and current negative and positive affect.

Early shame and safeness memories, and later depressive symptoms and safe affect: The mediating role of self-compassion

Steindl, S.R., Matos, M., & Creed, A.K.

Shame and traumatic early memories often lead to fears of compassion

The Origins of Fears of Compassion: Shame and Lack of Safeness Memories, Fears of Compassion and Psychopathology

Matos, M., Duarte, J., & Pinto-Gouveia, J.

Self-compassion leads to feelings of contentment and safeness

How One Experiences and Embodies Compassionate Mind Training Influences Its Effectiveness

Matos, M., Duarte, J., Duarte, C., Gilbert, P., & Pinto-Gouveia, J.

Social connection reduces the liklihood of post-traumatic stress

The role of social connection on the experience of COVID-19 related post-traumatic growth and stress

Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S.R., et al.

Compassion promotes resilience

Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID‐19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries

Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S.R., Ferreira, N., et al.

Cultivating compassion leads to better wellbeing

Cultivating the Compassionate Self: an Exploration of the Mechanisms of Change in Compassionate Mind Training

Matos, M., Duarte, C., Duarte, J., et al.

Compassion training significantly increases experiences of compassion for self and others

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

Matos, M., Duarte, C., Duarte, J., et al.

Self-compassion is linked to reduced burn-out among medical professionals

Compassion and self-compassion in medicine: Self-care for the caregiver

2016Mills, J., & Chapman, M.Australasian Medical Journal

Compassion predicts a greater moral circle, more so than empathy or mindfulness

Fear leads to suffering: Fears of compassion predict restriction of the moral boundary

2022Crimston, C.R., Blessing, S., Gilbert, P., & Kirby, J.N.British Journal of Social Psychology

Compassion enhances wellbeing of teachers

Nurturing compassion in schools: A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of a Compassionate Mind Training program for teachers

2022Matos, M., Albuquerque, I., Galhardo, A., Cunha, M., Pedroso Lima, M., et al.PLoS ONE

Compassion protects mental health and social safeness during Covid-19

Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries

2022Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S.R., Ferreira, N., et al.Mindfulness

Fears of compassion increased the mental health toll of Covid-19

Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries

2021Matos, M., McEwan, K., Kanovský, M., Halamová, J., Steindl, S.R., Ferreira, N., et al.Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy

Compassion interventions can increase people’s moral circle

Building Compassionate Schools: Pilot Study of a Compassionate Mind Training Intervention to Promote Teachers’ Well‑being

2021Matos, M., Palmeira, L., Albuquerque, I., et al. MIndfulness

Being open to receiving compassion from others buffers against depression

Ability to receive compassion from others buffers the depressogenic effect of self-criticism: A cross-cultural multi-study analysis

Hermanto, Nicola & Zuroff, David & Kopala-Sibley, Daniel & Kelly, Allison & Matos, Marcela & Gilbert, Paul & Koestner, Richard.

Compassion interventions promote social connection

Social connection and compassion: Important predictors of health and wellbeing

Emma Seppala, Timothy Rossomando, James R. Doty

Increased compassion is related to increased happiness and decreased depression

The benefits of self-compassion and optimism exercises for individuals vulnerable to depression

Shapira, L. B., & Mongrain, M

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Mental health